Chapter 391: Thousand Beast Valley
Bastian and the rest of the Centaur Warriors marveled at William's Thousand Beast Domain. Although it couldn't compare to the size of the Whimsical Forest, it was still spacious enough to fit their entire Tribe, and still have space for more.
Bastian looked at the towering Erchitu, who was looking back down at him. The two stared at each other for a while before introducing their names to each other.
"Erchitu."
"Bastian."
After that brief exchange, they chatted with each other, while William purchased log houses for the centaurs to live in.
Fortunately, each house only cost him two God Points each. After careful consideration, William placed the Centaur Camp in the South where the Quiver Trees were located. Since the Centaur Race were also proficient archers, William bought seven more Quiver Trees that would supply them with normal and elemental arrows.
This made Bastian and the other Centaur Warriors look at William more favorably.
—–
God Points: 2,080
—–
Because William had been too busy in the real world, he wasn't aware of the changes that had happened inside the Thousand Beast Domain.
When the Hidden Valley was relocated to William's Domain, some of the animals weren't able to flee and had been trapped inside ever since. Naturally, these Beasts had nowhere to run and were forced to submit to the Thousand Beast Domain's local tyrants.
Ella personally visited the valley, which had been renamed the Thousand Beast Valley and talked to its inhabitants. Although the animals that had been trapped in the valley numbered almost three hundred, the good news was that all of them were magical beasts!
William was pleasantly surprised as he looked at the list that the System had prepared for him and checked its contents with anticipation.
—–
< Class D Beasts >
Vicious Hunting Swines = 23 Individuals
Red Horned Rabbits = 47 Individuals
Malevolent Berserker Bees = 168 Individuals
—–
< Class C Beasts >
Black Winged-Panthers = 10 Individuals
Crimson Cavern Wolf Spiders = 38 Individuals
—–
< Class B Beasts >
Supreme Killer Koalas = 6 Individuals
—–
"Very nice!" William exclaimed as he saw the list of monsters that were now part of his Beast Domain.
Aside from the Black-Winged Panther, that had tried to eat him when he was doing his archery training, the rest of the Beasts in the lists were unknown to him. He was very curious to meet them all, especially the Supreme Giant Killer Koalas whose name made William wonder if they were really the cuddly Koalas he remembered back on Earth.
William didn't waste any time and visited the Valley to see the new additions to his King's Legion. Ian followed behind him because she was also curious about the Beasts that had been added to William's Domain.
When the two of them arrived at the Valley, they he saw several blood-red bees that were at least a foot long. The Flora of the valley had been untouched, so the Malevolent Berserker Bees had no problem with their food supply.
These beasts were omnivorous and preyed on both flowers, and
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beasts alike. Naturally, they still prefered flowers over meat, but they would not hesitate to kill in order to protect their Hive from any intruders.
William marveled at the Hive that was as big as a three-story house. The bees immediately encircled him when he approached their hive, but none of them attacked him. Ella had forbidden them from attacking anyone inside the Thousand Beast Domain and the Queen Bee agreed to her orders.
Since they were now part of William's Kings Legion, he was able to communicate with them even though they weren't part of his herd.
William talked to the bees and asked them if he could get some of their honey. The Half-Elf was very curious about what kind of honey the bees produced. However, before he could even get what he wanted, several bees returned to the hive carrying goblin body parts.
William watched as the bees chewed on the goblin flesh before flying to the hive to produce their honey. After seeing that scene, William's craving for honey vanished completely. He then bid the bees goodbye, while the latter insisted that he take some of their honeycombs with him.
William shuddered when the bees gave him two honeycombs filled with honey that they produced from eating goblin meat. The Half-Elf wasn't able to decline their kind offer and hurriedly stored the honey inside his storage ring.
He didn't plan to eat this honey personally, but since he already had it in his possession, he might as well use it as a syrup for pancakes that he would serve to pesky guests that come to annoy him!
The next place he visited was the nest of the Crimson Cavern Wolf Spiders. Just as their names suggested, they lived in the caverns that were located in the caves of the valley. The Half-Elf didn't have any Arachnophobia.
Even so, he still wasn't able to stop himself from shuddering when the two-meter-tall, black and red striped, spider wrapped its hairy legs around his body when it gave him a hug as a greeting.
William endured its warm greeting for half a minute before he politely backed away and bid it goodbye.
Ian stayed over twenty meters away from the spider because she was not fond of insects, especially spiders the size of a carriage.
The Black Winged Panther's Den was at the heart of the valley. William was already aware of how strong this beast was because he had fought against it inside the forest. If not for Blitz, the Hawk and John's animal companion, he might not have been able to escape its pursuit in one piece.
Panthers didn't usually live in groups. But, Black Winged Panthers were different. They were prized for their cubs and blacksmiths liked to use their steel wings as ingredients when forming weapons and armor.
William's arrows were forged from the wings of a Black Winged Panther and they were very durable. Adventurers usually captured them because of this, so these Magical Beasts had forsaken their solitary ways and banded together to repel anyone who would dare to hunt them down.
After meeting the Alpha of the Panthers, William made his way to the last creature on his list, which was the Supreme Killer Koala.
They were located in the Western part of the Valley where Giant Eucalyptus trees could be found.
Ian's eyes became gentle when she saw the meter-tall cuddly beast gnawing on leaves as they leaned their backs against the tree. The Koala had grey-brown fur that seemed very soft to touch. Ian was very tempted to touch it, so she approached it without thinking much.
Ian had completely forgotten that the name of this beast was Supreme Killer Koala, and not Supreme Gentle Koala.
As soon as Ian was ten meters away from the cuddly koala, it immediately bared its fangs and grew in size. The meter-tall koala transformed into a three-meter tall giant with razor sharp fangs and claws.
A wall of ice appeared in front of the Supreme Killer Koala and stopped its mad charge towards the panicked Ian who was caught completely by surprise.
William summoned his wooden staff and didn't show any mercy. He pummeled the beast's head left and right until it returned to its original form.
Just like the Malevolent Berserker Bees, the Supreme Killer Koalas were omnivores. However, when given the choice, they would happily eat meat instead of leaves.
After regaining its senses, the Koala hurriedly apologized to William and Ian whom it had attacked earlier. It insisted that it lost its rationality for a moment because it hadn't eaten meat for a long time.
Because of this, WIlliam gathered all the Koalas in the Western Part of the Valley, and transferred them into the Goblin Crypt. This way they could feast to their heart's content and no longer lose control of their blood thirsty nature.
Chapter 392: The Best Gift Of All [Part 1]
After parting ways with the Chiron Tribe and the Myriad Beast that was prone to mood swings, William continued his journey to gather allies. This time, his destination was towards the North of the Hellan Kingdom.
According to Takam, there was a Giant Trollhound that was hunting around the base of the Kyrintor Mountains. Since this particular Beast wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, Takam ignored its existence.
Naturally, William knew the identity of this Giant Trollhound. This time, it had the perfect bait to make it join his team since he was about to fight against the same Organization that had made it, and its kin, suffer.
They had been traveling for four days before they decided to rest at a valley they found along the way. William had allowed the Centaurs and some of the other creatures inside his Thousand Beast Domain to hunt the wild beasts that inhabited the area.
Centaurs liked to eat meat as well, but they didn't like eating goblin meat. For them, it was disgusting so William accepted their proposal to hunt every now and then when an opportunity arose.
Ashe was also weary of their long days of traveling, and William couldn't bear to let his lover suffer. The two spent some tender moments in a hidden hot spring on the Northern side of the valley. After that, they had a light dinner before sleeping in the villa inside the Thousand Beast Domain.
When William opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Ashe's sleeping beside him. She was sleeping peacefully in William's embrace. The red-headed boy looked at her with a gentle gaze, as he moved away the strands of hair covering her beautiful face.
William knew that if his current self traveled to the past, and told his younger self that the person whom he always quarreled with would end up becoming his lover, that younger version of himself wouldn't believe it, and would even spit on him and say, "You mad, Bruh?".
William chuckled internally as he thought of this scene, because he himself found it hard to believe.
While he was pondering about such things, a notification appeared on his status page.
—–
< Ding! >
< Happy Fifteenth Birthday, Host! >
< I wish you more experience points to level up all your Job Classes and enough stamina to keep your lovers satisfied! >
—-
The system also played a Happy Birthday song that made William realize that he had completely forgotten that it was indeed his birthday.
He checked the date on the lower right side of his status page just to be sure that the System wasn't pranking him.
'Day 13 Month of Strength.' William looked at the date for a few more seconds before shifting his attention back to the sleeping beauty in front of him. 'To think I'd be celebrating my fifteenth birthday with you. Lady Fate sure knows how to crack a joke.'
William planted a kiss on Ashe's forehead as he held her firmly in his embrace. 'I guess we can spend one more day here to rest before we go
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to the North, where it is cold year-round.'
The two of them would always sleep inside William's Sea of Consciousness during the night. Ashe insisted that, even when resting, she wanted to help speed up the recovery of William's Spiritual World.
William welcomed her proposal because Ashe had a habit of hugging him tightly as she closed her eyes to sleep. This habit had rubbed off on William, and he too, looked forward to hugging his mermaid lover every night.
Two hours later, Ashe finally stirred from her slumber.
"Good morning," William said with a smile.
Ashe sleepily kissed his lips before returning his greeting. "Good Morning. What time is it?"
"Around eight in the morning. You must be very tired if you oversleep this much."
"I'm not used to traveling non-stop and going from place to place."
William smiled as he kissed her lips before helping her to stand up. The Half-Elf decided to hold a little celebration to commemorate his birthday, while also giving Ashe some time to recover from their hectic traveling schedule.
"What?!" Ashe looked at William in a daze. "Today is your birthday? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
William scratched his head. He wanted to say that he had completely forgotten about his birthday and was only reminded by the System. However, he couldn't do that, so he just said that he suddenly remembered that it was his birthday after waking up.
"Sorry, I don't have any gifts that I can give you," Ashe said as she looked at William with a pout. "I would have been able to prepare something if you had told me a few days ago."
William pulled the pouting mermaid to his embrace and kissed her forehead. "Silly, you've already given me the best gift of all."
William then held Ashe's hand and placed it over his chest. The blue gem embedded in William's chest glowed as its previous owner touched it.
"Thank you," William said softly. "This is the best gift that someone has ever given me. I will properly repay you with my body three years from now."
"Three years from now?" Ashe looked up at William because she didn't understand what the Half-Elf was hinting at.
William nodded as he whispered something in Ashe's ears, which made the Mermaid blush from the nape of her neck, up to the tip of her ears.
The red-headed boy thought that Ashe would get mad at him for teasing her, but contrary to his expectations, the mermaid only rested her head on his chest, and replied in a volume that William could barely hear.
"I'll be waiting."
That was what Ashe said and because of that… the two left William's Spiritual World an hour later.
—-
Sounds of merry-making echoed inside William's Thousand Beast Domain as William's companions ate and drank their fill.
The Half-Elf spent fifty God Points to buy delicious food and wine for everyone that made them extremely happy.
"I never tasted wine as good as this!" Bastian exclaimed. "And this meat! Just what kind of meat is this? It literally melts in my mouth and the aftertaste is simply out of this world!"
"That's right! This is amazing!"
"I wish I could bring this wine back to my brothers in the tribe. They would definitely love this!"
"Cheers to William! I pray for more birthdays to come!"
""Cheers!""
Everyone ate happily and William looked at Erchitu who was wholeheartedly eating roasted boars one by one.
This Giant White Ox was the first Millennial Beast that had joined William's Herd, and the Half-Elf wasn't able to stop himself from thinking of the possibilities of having more Millennial Beasts to bolster up his legion.
William imagined himself standing on top of a hill overlooking a mighty Beast Army numbering in the hundreds of thousands. They were all part of his King's Legion and allowed him to move unhindered across the land.
'If only it were true,' William thought as he gazed at the Magical Beasts that were happily celebrating his Birthday.
Currently, William's legion was less than a thousand strong. It was a mere drop in the bucket compared to the majestic scene that he had envisioned. However, someday in the future, he was sure that he could make it a reality.
The party lasted until the evening. William had decided to retire for the night because he still needed to continue his journey in the morning. Also, Ashe had tried the delicious wines that William had suddenly procured out of nowhere and became dead drunk because of them.
She liked them all, but it didn't take long before she got drunk because of her low alcohol tolerance. William decided to take her back to the villa so that she could rest properly.
Unfortunately, he underestimated the effects of the wines that he had purchased from the God Shop. William would soon realize that it wasn't only Cernunnos whose moods could switch without warning.
That night, he would understand that a drunk mermaid… was a very dangerous mermaid in more ways than one.
Chapter 393: The Best Gift Of All [Part 2]
—–
William gently laid the drunken Ashe on the bed and took off her shoes. After doing that, he took off his own and laid beside her. Will gently pressed his forehead against Ian's in an attempt to Synchronize so they could enter William's Spiritual World.
The Half-Elf had just entered his Sea of Consciousness when a pair of arms wrapped around him and a pair of seductive eyes stared up at him.
"Will, do you… *hic* love me?" Ashe asked.
William marvelled at the light blush that spread on Ashe's cheeks, heightening her already beautiful features.
"I love you," William replied.
"I love you, too," Ashe said as she kissed William's lips.
William was quite surprised because usually it was him who initiated to kiss Ashe on the lips. The beautiful mermaid would only kiss him on the forehead and cheeks, but never on the lips.
Perhaps due to the effects of the wine, Ashe had suddenly become bold and daring. At first, she started to kiss William's lips with small pecks. However, it then escalated to ravenous and passionate kisses, causing both of them to gasp for breath the moment their lips parted.
Of course, this was not the first time that the two of them had kissed. What was different was that Ashe was the one taking the lead and William was allowing his mermaid lover to do whatever she wanted.
Seeing that William was not resisting her advances, Ashe pinned him down on the blue sea that was the same color as her hair. Her hands suddenly ripped off his clothes off as if they were made of paper, which caught the Half-Elf by surprise.
'Fortunately, we are inside my Sea of Consciousness,' William thought.
William could easily create clothes inside his Spiritual World, so he didn't mind having his shirt ripped apart. However, he just didn't expect that Ashe had this side to her that she had never shown him before.
Ashe didn't know what William was thinking, nor did she care. She was busy kissing her significant other all over the place.
The drunk mermaid kissed his forehead, his cheeks, ears, nose, lips, chin, neck, and didn't stop there. She had become a complete kissing addict after getting drunk, and her kisses were slowly going down towards William's lower half.
William hurriedly stopped the drunken mermaid before she crossed the point of no return. He was afraid that his willpower wouldn't last long if Little William was kissed by Ashe, who seemed to be dead set on
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marking every inch of his body in her drunken state.
Ashe tried to resist William, but the Half-Elf was stronger than her. In the end, William had no choice but to hold her firmly in order to prevent her from waking the sleeping dragon that had already started to stir.
"Something *hic* is poking me."
"You're drunk. You're just imagining things."
William admonished the little guy who had woken up to poke their drunk lover. He took deep breaths, in order to clear his mind and prevent himself from eating the delicious fish that had landed on his plate.
The minutes passed by before Ashe finally settled down and laid on top of William. The Half-Elf didn't dare to let her go, and allow her to do anything she wanted anymore, because he was also close to reaching his limit. He drank a few cups of wine himself and his body had started to heat up due to Ashe's sensuous actions.
"Will. Whom do you *hic* love the most?" Ashe asked as she playfully caressed William's chest. "Is it Wendy, Est, or Me?"
"Of course I love you the most," William replied. He was doing his best to not focus on the playful hand that was stoking the fire that was starting to blaze inside his chest.
According to the Goddess of Lust, William must always focus on the lady in front of him and not think of other girls whenever he spends some quality time with them. She added that a lady would always want the man they love to say that they love them, no matter the situation.
"Really? Are you telling me the truth?"
"Yes."
Ashe raised her head and gazed at her reflection on William's clear-green eyes, which proved that he was only looking at her at this point in time.
"Well then, why don't you *hic* prove it to me?" Ashe laid her head on William's chest once again, where the other half of her heart was located. "Tell me *hic* the name of the girl you love the most, and swear it upon *hic* my true name."
William's body stiffened when he heard the drunken mermaid's challenge. Ashe was asking him to give her an honest answer with her true name on the line. This caught William completely by surprise and he was at a loss on how to properly respond to his drunk lover.
The Half-Elf could feel Ashe's warm breath as she breathed softly. Her soft and delicate hand rested over the jewel that was embedded in his chest. This was the half of her heart that she had given to William in order to prevent his Spiritual World from collapsing completely.
If William were to lie to her now, wouldn't that be tantamount to stepping on her trust and the affection that she had given him?
William took a deep breath, before finally making up his mind. Since Ashe wanted to know the truth then he would give it to her. This was also a form of love.
"Ashe, I…"
*Snore*
William wasn't able to finish his words because the drunken mermaid had fallen asleep on top of him. Not to mention, she was even snoring loudly, which had never happened before. This just proved the potency of the wines that William had bought from the God Shop.
Since they were being sold there, their quality was superior to the common wines that could be found elsewhere.
William held Ashe's warm, and soft, body firmly in his embrace as he planted a kiss on her head. Although his feelings for the girl in his arms weren't as strong as his feelings for Belle and Wendy, they were starting to take shape.
"I know that you won't believe me, but this I swear is true," William said softly. "I promise to love you, just as much as you love me. So, give me some time to fully show you just how much you mean to me."
The corner of Ashe's lips raised slightly into a sweet smile. Perhaps it was due to William's words, or perhaps she was having a good dream. However, one thing was sure. The hearts that were beating on both of their chests, were slowly, but surely, starting to beat as one.
Chapter 394: Return To The Kingdom Of Freesia
A swarm of flying ants entered the airspace of the capital of Freesia, but none of the defenders barred their way.
Prior to her arrival, Princess Sidonie had written a letter and asked Priscilla to take it to the Commander of the Kraetor Empire, Prince Jason, who was currently commanding the city.
After Prince Jason received the letter from his cousin, he personally went to meet her and tell her about the mission that was given to him by his grandfather, Emperor Leonidas.
There had been a subtle change in Princess Sidonie's attitude and presence after she had left the Kyrintor Mountains. She no longer hid her face behind a veil and allowed her beauty to be seen by all. The power of her Charm had also increased twofold, which would turn average people into mindless slaves who would follow her every command.
Naturally, Princess Sidonie held this power back, only allowing a tiny bit of her power to be released into the surroundings. Even so, it was still more than enough to make those with weaker willpower infatuated with her beauty.
Prince Jason came prepared and was wearing many protective artifacts that decreased the power of Charm spells. Even so, when he first saw Sidonie, he wasn't able to stop himself from drawing a deep breath because of her sensuous beauty.
Princess Sidonie didn't care whether her cousin would be Charmed by her beauty or not. For her, those with weak willpower were just meant to be used as cannon fodder[delete s] in order to accomplish her goal, which was to make William see her as the greatest threat he was going to face.
"I've been warned by our spies that your beauty can bring down nations," Prince Jason said as he stared at the sensuous beauty in front of him. "However, I didn't expect that they still failed to accurately describe how beautiful you truly are, Cousin."
Princess Sidonie's lips curled up into a sweet smile. In the past, she didn't like it when people flattered her because of her beauty, but after being firmly rejected by William, she lost a bit of her confidence.
Hearing people affirm that she was beautiful once again sparked the flames that burned inside her chest, fueling her seductive powers to grow by the day.
"I already read the plans in the letter, but is it true that Grandfather planned to make me the Empress of the Southern Continent?" Princess Sidonie inquired. "I find this hard to believe."
Prince Jason pressed his closed fist over his chest as he stared straight into the Princess' eyes.
"This is what the Emperor decreed," Prince Jason stated with pride. "I swear upon my dignity and honor that there is no falsehood in his desire to make you the ruler of the Southern Continent!"
Before he set out on his journey, Prince
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Jason was still doubtful about why his Grandfather decided to ask his distant cousin to become the ruler of an entire continent. Prince Jason would be lying if he said that he didn't have any complaints about his mission.
However, all of those complaints vanished the moment he laid his eyes upon the most attractive lady he had seen in his life.
As a Prince of the Kraetor Empire, Jason never lacked the company of beautiful women. He was also not a vegetarian. He had spent many nights with these beauties to quell his sexual desires.
This was why he became enamored with the Princess, who was also his cousin. In the Kraetor Empire, it was not forbidden for relatives to get married.
The Royal Family of the Empire had a bloodline trait which made their offspring immune to any disability or genetic defect that came from marrying their relatives. There were also times when such practices were favored because countless powerful members of the Royal Family had been born due to this method.
Although Princess Sidonie was unaware of the thoughts that were currently swirling inside Prince Jason's mind, she was able to sense the desire that had bloomed inside the Prince's heart.
Morgana giggled internally as she teased her other half about making Prince Jason their Mister.
(A/N: A Mister is the counterpart of a Mistress. I was tempted to use Paramour, but decided to just make it Mister to make things easier. Take note that this term is only viable to anyone linked to Princess Sidonie or Morgana. If you read the word Mister, in this story, it will not have the meaning of a "Male Mistress" unless the one saying it is Princess Sidonie or Morgana.)
"Thank you, Cousin, for your praise," Princess Sidonie replied with a smile that was sweet enough to rot anyone's teeth. "I'm tired from my journey. Can you please escort me back to the capital?"
Prince Jason unconsciously drew in a deep breath before taking hold of his senses. Princess Sidonie's smile made his heart skip a beat and he had to use all of his willpower to stop himself from kneeling at her feet.
"It will be my pleasure, Cousin," Prince Jason replied. "Please follow me."
The Bronze Dragon that the Prince was riding led the way towards the capital. The Flying Ants returned to their formation with the flying carriage at the center. If Princess Sidonie's father, King Redmond, saw her right now, his heart would definitely be filled with pride.
His daughter had managed to make a Myriad Beast her Beast Companion, which was something that not everyone could do. Only a handful of Emperors and Empresses that ruled the Central Continent had achieved such a feat, and none of them had been able to do it when they were only sixteen years old.
Princess Sidonie was warmly received by the Kraetor Army. The Princess' little brother, Prince Carl, hugged his elder sister the moment she stepped out of the flying carriage.
Morgana had already placed a spell on her other half's sibling to prevent Prince Carl from getting Charmed by anyone. Both of them were born from the same mother, and Princess Sidonie, as well as Morgana, loved him very much.
"Don't leave me again, Sister," Prince Carl said as he hugged his sister tightly.
Princess Sidonie could feel her clothes becoming wet from the tears of her little brother. She affectionately patted the crying child's head as she assured him that she would stay in the capital for the time being.
Prince Jason watched this scene and wished that he could swap places with the young Prince. His desire to hold the Princess in his arms burned deep inside his chest.
The Princess of Freesia excused herself and dragged her little brother to her room. She didn't want the members of the Kraetor Empire to witness Prince Carl's sorry state, so she deemed[decided] it best to have a talk with him in private.
Priscilla followed behind the Princess since all of Sidonie's other attendants had been left in Ravenlord Citadel when she escaped. Both of them could only hope that they didn't suffer at the hands of the Crown Prince as he vented his anger due to the Princess' escape.
Princess Sidonie's goal was to rally the Kraetor Army and start her own conquest of the Southern Lands. Her first target was the Anaesha Dynasty where the Ant Queen resided. This was her first step in the master plan that she had prepared to ensnare the arrogant red-headed boy who had dared to reject her.
A Half-Elf that dared to reject the most beautiful lady in the Southern Continent. Princess Sidonie vowed that the next time she met William, she would make him understand that he had made the wrong choice in not choosing her as his main lover.
Chapter 395: I Don't Trust You
"Head Prefect Est is gathering volunteers to evacuate the survivors on the outskirts of the Kingdom?" Spencer raised his head after reading the scroll that Dave had personally handed to him.
Dave nodded his head. "Right now, we are gathering volunteers from all over the Kingdom to bring the less fortunate survivors to the capital. Of course, we understand that you are busy with managing your own Duchy right now, so we will not force you to help us."
Before Spencer could answer, the door of Spencer's office burst open as Wendy stormed in with an excited expression on her face.
"Is it true?! Will has regained consciousness?!" Wendy walked straight towards Dave to demand an answer.
She had always been thinking about her boyfriend ever since she left William to head to the frontlines to protect their Kingdom. Wendy had wanted to see him after she returned to the Academy from the Ravenlord Fortress, but William was no longer there.
She felt sad when she learned that Ashe had taken him to the Northern Regions while the war was underway. Ashe had left a letter in the room they used in the academy just in case someone were to go there to try and see them while they were away.
Because of the urgency of the situation, Wendy and Spencer returned to their Duchy to supervise the rescue efforts for the survivors in their territory. Now that she knew that William was already awake, she wanted to be by his side as soon as possible.
"Yes. The Commander is now awake, but he is not in the capital," Dave replied. "Unfortunately, the Commander has left the capital only leaving a letter behind."
Dave explained the contents of the letter after Est angrily threw it on the floor after reading it.
On that day, Est wanted to strangle the Half-Elf that had dumped all of the responsibilities onto him. If not for the fact that William had given him a valid reason for doing so, Est might have left the capital to hunt down the red-headed boy with a vengeance.
In William's letter, he had mentioned that he would be traveling the Hellan Kingdom, looking for strong allies to help them in their cause. William added that even with the forces they currently had, they would immediately be crushed by the Elven Army who was busy consolidating their forces in the nearby Zelan Dynasty.
Because of this, Est reluctantly accepted his role as the temporary leader of the Kingdom, assisted by the Son of the Prime Minister, Brendan.
Wendy sighed in disappointment because she had missed the chance to reunite with her handsome boyfriend. She felt a little envious of Ian because he was always by his side. However, she also understood that this was for the best.
"He just woke up
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and he's pushing himself once again," Wendy muttered softly as she placed her hand over her chest. "I just hope that he takes better care of himself. I'll make sure to pamper him the next time we meet."
Spencer and Dave looked at the lovestruck lady who was already thinking of the Handsome Half-Elf who was currently headed to the North.
As Wendy's older twin brother, Spencer had developed a dislike for his Knight Commander. This was because he was very overprotective of her and didn't want her to hang around with dangerous people who might bring her harm.
William was the very definition of someone who liked to court danger. For Spencer, this was someone that shouldn't be connected to their family, especially his twin sister who was currently pining for the Half-Elf whose current whereabouts were unknown.
Dave, on the other hand, already knew that Wendy and William were in a relationship, so he didn't think her actions were out of the norm. In fact, he was very jealous of William because a strong, and beautiful, girl like Wendy was head over heels for him.
He hoped that he would also find the love of his life, if he survived the war.
"Tell Head Prefect Est that we will send a few knights in training to the capital to assist in the rescue operation," Spencer said. "I apologize in advance if their numbers are low. We are currently short in manpower."
"Big Brother how about…"
"No. You're staying here."
Wendy pouted, but didn't insist on leaving with Dave to the capital. She knew that their own Duchy still had many problems and leaving her Big Brother behind would only increase his burden even more.
In the end, she could only sigh in her heart. However, before Dave left the Armstrong Duchy, Wendy had given him a handwritten letter to be passed to William.
Dave promised that he would hand the letter to their Knight Commander as soon as they met each other. He still had many others to visit, so he didn't stay to enjoy Spencer's hospitality. Time was of the essence and many children were starving in places that were far beyond their reach.
—–
"So, are you in, or are you out?" William asked.
After arriving in the North, he asked the System to find the whereabouts of the Titanic Green-Scaled Trollhound that he had banished from the Barony of Brandford.
"Are you telling the truth?" the Titanic Trollhound growled as it looked down on William.
"Of course. I wouldn't waste my time trying to find you otherwise."
"… I still don't trust you."
William crossed his arms over his chest as he gazed at the towering Trollhound who was looking down on him.
"Then tell me, what should I do for you to believe me?" William asked.
The Titanic Trollhound pondered for a bit before answering William's question. Truth be told, it didn't trust Humans because the ones that had made it suffer were Humans. Although the one it was talking to was a Half-Elf, it was still wary of William's character.
"I have heard from the Humans that the people of the Kyrintor Mountains have a Demigod watching over them," the Titanic Trollhound replied. "I don't trust you, but I am willing to believe in a Demigod. If he says that you can be trusted then I will come with you."
"That's it?" William raised an eyebrow. "If you get to talk with the Demigod then you will join me in the battle against The Organization?"
"Yes."
"Do I have your word?"
"Yes." The Titanic Trollhound nodded. "If the Demigod can vouch for you then I will fight with you against The Organization. Bear in mind that I won't become your subordinate. I don't want to serve anyone again. After The Organization has been dealt with, we will part ways."
William was half tempted to use one of his Pocket Cubes to capture the stubborn Titanic Trollhound, but in the end he didn't do it. Forcing it to become his subordinate would leave a bitter aftertaste, so he agreed with its proposal to only join him to fight against The Organization.
'It's a shame that I can't count on it against the Elves, but this is also a good compromise,' William thought. "Very well, let's go. Let's go meet the Demigod of the Kyrintor Mountains. That way, you will know that I am not lying."
The Titanic Trollhound nodded. The members of its pack also had a vendetta against their captors, so they were itching to pay them back. All of them followed William as they made their way towards the First Peak of the Kyrintor Mountains where Takam was already waiting for their arrival.
Chapter 396: Takam's Errand
William and the Titanic Trollhound, along with its pack, arrived at the First Peak of the Kyrintor Mountains. Just like always, the leader of the Trollhounds had a unique dislike for Humans. However, it still gave William a chance because the Half-Elf said that he was going to fight against the Organization that was responsible for their torture and suffering.
The Half-Elf thought that this was already in the bag since Takam and him were on the same page. However, what greeted him at the Peak of the Kyrintor Mountain was…
"Can you please repeat that one more time?" William's eyes were almost bloodshot as he stared at the Oracle of the Kyrintor Mountains.
"The Sovereign is currently taking a number two," Olivia, the Oracle of the Kyrintor Mountains, said with a calm expression on her face. "His Excellency explicitly told me that he is not going to receive any guests until he is finished with his business."
William almost laughed out loud due to anger after hearing the bullsh*t excuse of the Demigod that refused to meet with him.
"Lady Olivia, do Demigods take a dump?" The corner of William's lips twitched as he used all of his willpower to stop himself from cursing out loud. 'What kind of bullsh*t excuse is that? Even if you kill me, I won't believe that a Demigod takes a dump!'
"Yes."
"Are you for real?"
"Young Will, don't you know? This is general knowledge," Olivia stated as if it was a very obvious thing. She even gave William a weird look as if he had no common sense.
The Titanic Trollhound stared at the red-headed boy with contempt as if mocking him for his lack of knowledge. This made William want to give it the middle finger because it had easily been hoodwinked by the straight-faced Oracle who was in cahoots with the Demigod she served.
In order to get a second opinion, William transferred his consciousness inside his Thousand Beast Domain and asked Kasogonaga if Demigods actually pooped.
"Are you stupid?" Kasogonaga asked. "How can a Demigod poop? Something must be wrong with your brain!"
"Come out with me for a second," William pleaded. "Help me explain to the Oracle and Titanic Trollhound that they are behind hoodwinked by Takam."
The rainbow-colored Anteater pondered for a bit before firmly shaking its head.
"There are rules between Demigods. It is the rule of non-interference," Kasogonaga said with a serious expression on its adorable face. "Since we are inside this Demigod's Domain, I can't just randomly come out because it would think my action was a declaration of war. Right now, I am not at my peak.
"Also my instincts are telling me that meeting this Demigod in my current state is not a good idea. Although the chances are low, I don't want to risk giving it an excuse to capture me and lock me up. I just regained my freedom. There's no way I'm letting any Demigod imprison
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me again."
Kasogonaga was firm as it stood its ground. William could tell that it wouldn't go back on its word, so he couldn't expect any help to come from it.
After that short discussion with Kasogonaga, William finally understood that Takam wasn't meeting him on purpose. Perhaps the Demigod had a reason for doing so, but it made things difficult for William.
"Then, when will his Excellency finish his business?" William had no choice but to compromise. Whatever sick joke Takam was playing, he decided to play along for now. This was to ensure that the Titanic Trollhound would join him in his fight against The Organization.
"I don't know," Olivia shook her head. "Sometimes, it takes weeks to months before his Excellency finishes his business. If you want to wait, you are welcome to wait on the Peak of Enlightenment."
"I-Is there no other way to communicate with him?" William insisted. "He only needs to talk to this… wonderful Trollhound by my side for a few minutes. It won't take too much of his time."
Olivia frowned as if William's proposal was very difficult to achieve. At that moment, a scroll appeared in front of the Oracle.
The one who serves the Sovereign of the Kyrintor Mountain reads its contents before looking at William with a smile.
"His Excellency said that it will take a while for him to finish. However, he added that if you are in a hurry to meet him, you should read his letter first."
William sighed as he took the letter from Olivia's hands and read its contents. He didn't know what the Demigod was up to, but Takam had always been good to him, so he decided to just play along and see what was written in the letter.
—–
Dear Little Will,
If you are reading this letter, it means that I am currently busy with you know what. It will take a while for me to finish, so while you wait, why don't you visit the Goblin Crypt in the Town of Hartlepool first?
Clearing a Low-Level Dungeon is not that hard. So, why don't you clear two Goblin Crypts at the same time? Make sure to press your father's keepsake over the Dungeon Core when you reach the last floor.
Also, it might be a good time for you to raise the ranks of your army. I think I'll be done with my business after you have cleared the two Goblin Crypts, and raised five of your beasts to the Centennial Rank.
Best of luck to you,
Takam.
—–
William read the contents of the letter with a dumbfounded expression. First of all, he was surprised because Takam knew that there were two Goblin Crypts. Of course, William thought that the Demigod was just teasing him.
However, the words written on the letter were too precise to ignore. The next thing that confused him was the fact that Takam also knew about his Father's keepsake, which was the Ring of Conquest.
The last part about having five Centennial Beasts also made him painfully aware that he currently didn't have any Beasts in his Legion that had stepped into the Centennial Rank. This reminder was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
William contemplated as he went over the information of the two Goblin Crypts that he had explored in the past.
His own Goblin Crypt consisted of Twenty Floors, while the Goblin Crypt in the Town of Hartlepool had Thirty Floors.
William had already gained the floor map of the upper floors, so it was only a matter of time before he could clear this condition. He believed that with the current forces under his disposal, clearing the two dungeons simultaneously would be easy.
"Fine," William decided to take a step back and run Takam's errand first.
He was also very curious about what would happen after he cleared the two dungeons at the same time. His instinct was telling him that this was not a random errand that the Demigod was sending him on because he was bored.
'Could it be?' William thought a possibility appeared inside his head.
The Half-Elf looked at the Ring of Conquest which had once belonged to his father. It was the keepsake that his mother had given him when they parted ways and it had remained with William to this day.
Like the final piece of a puzzle falling in place, William clenched his fist as he looked in the direction of the Hellan Kingdom. Although it was exhausting to travel back and forth between the Kyrintor Mountains and the Capital, he was willing to do it as long as he could gain the power and allies that would help him accomplish the task he needed to do.
'I just hope that my hunch is correct.' William caressed the ring on his hand in anticipation.
Chapter 397: This Time, I Will Not Let You Fight Alone
Because William couldn't prove that he could be trusted, the Titanic Trollhound didn't accompany him in his return to the Hellan Kingdom.
After resting for a day in the Great Chieftain's residence on the Third Peak of Chivalry, and making sure that Brianna and Prince Ernest were doing well, William and Ashe once again journeyed towards the Hellan Kingdom.
They planned to make a detour before before going to the town of Hartlepool
Their destination? It was none other than the Armstrong Duchy.
Although it didn't show on his face, William was very worried about Wendy. He had already seen Est, but he still hadn't seen his first girlfriend since he had woken up from his coma.
Surprisingly, Ashe even supported his decision. Her reasoning was simple.
"Wendy is your girlfriend," Ashe said firmly. "It's only natural for you to see her and lessen the burden in her heart. I'm sure that she's also very worried about your current condition."
Because of this, they didn't waste time and traveled four days in order to reach the Armstrong Duchy, which had found some kind of stability amidst the hardships that they had faced in the first few weeks after the Continental Spell had descended upon the land.
When the Lamassu flew over the Armstrong Residence, the Young Knights immediately sounded the alarm that an intruder had arrived.
Spencer and Wendy came hurrying towards the front doors with their spears firmly held in their hands. When Wendy saw the new arrival, she screamed like a little girl and ran in William's direction.
Spencer, on the other hand, frowned, but he made a gesture for the Knights to lower their weapons. Some of these Young Knights were the local trainees of their retainers, so they didn't know who William was.
They just looked at him in envy when they saw their Lady Wendy jumped into his arms with tears streaming down her face. The beautiful lady wailed and pounded William's chest calling him a cheater, a womanizer, and a playboy.
(A/N: Excuse my French.)
William didn't care that they were being watched by many people as he cupped Wendy's face and kissed her lips.
Spencer was very tempted to stab William's bum with the tip of his spear, just like the Half-Elf had done when he tried to capture the Gryphon, Lionheart, back in the Whimsical Forest.
The Young Knights, who had a crush on Wendy, felt their hearts breaking as William kissed the apple of their eyes right in front of them!
Although she was caught off guard by William's passionate kiss, the blonde beauty didn't fight back and even wrapped her arms around William's neck. The two kissed for a minute before reluctantly parting from each other.
Ian watched this scene with a calm expression because she understood that Wendy was the first girl whom William had opened his heart to. She had a feeling that even if her seal had been broken earlier,
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she would have found it difficult to find an opportunity to get close to William and make him treat her as his lover.
Sometimes, Ashe even thought that William's current state was a blessing in disguise. If not for it, she wouldn't have had an excuse to give him half of her heart, which would automatically made him her partner for life.
(A/N: There are times when I have to switch pronouns when it comes to Ian, and Est. Bear with me as I find the right balance in order to make the transitions smoother.)
After their public display of affection, Spencer urged the two annoying love birds to come inside the residence before the Young Knights cried a river for their loss.
Ian followed a few steps behind William and Wendy in order to give both of them some privacy. The blonde beauty clung to William's arm like a leech. A leech that wouldn't let go even if one were to spray salt on her.
Naturally, the Half-Elf enjoyed his girlfriend's affection and whispered words of love in her ear, making Wendy's face beet red.
After arriving in the Duke's office, Spencer immediately asked William for his reason for coming to their territory.
Naturally, William didn't hide his purpose for coming.
"I came to see Wendy before I continued my journey to gather allies that will help us resist The Organization and the Elven Invasion," William replied. "We only have a few months to prepare, and I'm afraid that we won't have enough forces to stop them from their conquest."
Est had already informed everyone about the Foreign Invaders that had arrived in their Kingdom–the Elven Race and the Kraetor Empire. However, between the two Superpowers, the Elven Race's threat was more profound because the distance between the Hellan Kingdom and the Zelan Dynasty was not that far from each other.
The only reason why the Elves hadn't attacked yet was because they were busy consolidating the territories of the Zelan Kingdom and also focusing their efforts on building the Teleport Gates that would allow reinforcements from the Silvermoon Continent to arrive in the Southern Continent.
When William said that he planned to go to the Town of Hartlepool in order to explore the Goblin Crypt, Wendy's and Spencer's expressions immediately turned grim.
The twins had suffered terribly during their first dungeon expedition inside the Goblin Crypt. Although they had been captured, Wendy's Fate would have been terrible if not for William's, and the other students' in the academy, timely rescue.
The Goblin Crypt gave the two of them a very bad memory and,if possible, they didn't want to go there ever again.
"Do you have a reason for going there?" Wendy asked.
William nodded and explained the situation concerning Takam's condition. He didn't mention anything about the Gigantic Trollhound because he was not sure if this information would leak and reach The Organization through different channels.
'It's better to be safe than sorry,' WIlliam thought as he hugged Wendy who was seated beside him on the couch.
Ian sat on the chair right next to them and focused his attention on eating the snacks that had been served to them. The constant travels had taken a toll on him and he just wanted to relax for the time being before accompanying William in his Dungeon Expedition.
"I'm coming with you."
Everyone in the room glanced at the blonde beauty who was looking at William with a determined expression on her face.
"I'm coming with you to the Goblin Crypt," Wendy declared. "This time, I will not let you fight alone. Whatever you plan to do, I will go with you."
William frowned. He didn't come to the Armstrong Duchy to get Wendy to accompany him in his travels. He just wanted to let her know that he was safe then leave as soon as he could to travel to the Town of Hartlepool.
Wendy's eyes were very determined and William couldn't find a reason to prevent her from coming with him. Deep inside, he missed her company and also wanted her to be with him in his quest to gather allies from all over the Hellan Kingdom.
Spencer rubbed his forehead because he had already anticipated that his twin sister would do something like this.
The Siscon shifted his attention to William and the latter met his gaze. Half a minute later, both boys nodded their heads in understanding.
Although Spencer was reluctant to part with his sister, he knew that William would do his best to keep her safe. Although he disliked the red-headed boy, he had recognized his strength.
He just hoped that the twin sister he cared about the most wouldn't suffer terribly as she followed the person she loved.
Chapter 398: Conquering The Goblin Crypt [Part 1]
William found himself being used as a hug pillow by two beautiful ladies inside his Sea of consciousness. They decided to stay for a night in the Armstrong Duchy, before going to the town of Hartlepool in order to start their Dungeon Expedition.
'I can get used to this,' William thought as he held the two beauties in his arms. He listened to the soft, sleeper, breaths of the two girls that loved him as he basked in their warmth and softness.
Ashe's Spiritual Energy transfer was still in effect even when she slept. Wendy's Magical Powers traveled through her, before being transmitted to William's body as Spiritual Power. Both of them were nourishing his body and speeding up the recovery process of his Spiritual World.
For William, these two girls in his arms were very precious. He had long decided to do his best to make them happy and return the love they were showering him with in full. When Belle said that she would allow him to have nine wives, he thought that she was kidding.
Now that he was holding not one, but two girls in his arms, he started to realize that there might be some truth in the words of his star-crossed lover, who was still thinking about him from Earth.
'Nine,' William mused. 'There's Est so that's already three…'
William recalled all the ladies that he had a close relationship with and felt a minor headache. Aside from his three lovers, there were several other girls that came to his mind. One of them was the Princess of Freesia who had openly declared that she wanted his babies.
'I should stop thinking about this.' William sighed internally. He still had to deal with the problems at hand and had no energy to think about his future wife candidates. For the time being, he decided to just focus on his three lovers. In regards to the other six possible wives, he decided to cross the bridge when he got there.
—–
After breakfast, William, Ian, and Wendy wasted no time and teleported to the town of Hartlepool using the teleport gate in the Armstrong Duchy. It had been many months since their last visit, but Wendy still unconsciously flinched when she saw the entrance of the Goblin Crypt.
"Don't worry," William said as he firmly held her hand. "I'll protect you."
William cringed internally after he realized that he just said one of the cheesiest lines in existence. In the past, he would snort whenever he read
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this line in a light novel or heard it in T.V shows. Why? Because all of them sounded unrealistic. He just didn't expect that he would be saying the same words in this lifetime.
"Thank you," Wendy replied as she returned a firm squeeze on William's hand to tell him that she was really fine.
William nodded and closed his eyes. It was now time to form the teams that would explore the dungeons.
Erchitu, along with the minotaur race, would take care of the Goblin Crypt that was connected to the Thousand Beast Domain. The Half-Elf was confident that the Millennial Beast would easily bulldoze through anything that stood in its way.
As for William's own party, there was Ian, Wendy, Ella, and the goats. Psoglav, Kasogonaga, and the Cercopes Monkeys also joined in for fun. Kasogonaga sat on top of Chronos, because the rainbow-colored Anteater had become good friends with the denizens of the Thousand Beast Domain.
Aside from its hatred for the Elven Race, Kasogonaga had no problem getting along with anyone. Although it was not part of William's Legion, it decided to accompany the Half-Elf during his war against the Elven Prodigies, who were just outside the Hellan Kingdom's borders.
William knew that with the lineup he had prepared for the two dungeons, a mere Goblin Crypt wouldn't be able to stop them.
Ten minutes later…
The goats ran straight towards the lower floors of the dungeon and ignored senseless killing. Since William had already acquired the maps, he just focused on reaching the lowest floors as fast as possible.
The same thing was happening to the Goblin Crypt where Erchitu was stationed. According to Takam, both dungeons must be conquered within twenty-four hours after setting foot inside them.
The Hobgoblin Leader didn't even last five seconds after it appeared in the Boss Room. As soon as the boss landed on the ground, it received a Mega Kick from Ella which sent it slamming towards the wall head first.
Ian hurriedly opened the chest and grabbed the pair of Windborne Boots and stored them inside her storage ring. Last time, she had surrendered the Windborne Boots to Est. This time, she wasn't planning on compromising.
Even now, William still wore the boots that he had acquired inside the Goblin Crypt. They had an auto-size function and were very sturdy. Because of this, the Elf didn't think about replacing them with other footwear, unless he was wearing the Golden Armor that was forged from the Golden-Scaled Crocodile that attacked Lont when he was still young and powerless.
Wendy didn't know the meaning behind the boots, and only thought that Ian was taking them in order to not waste the treasure chest.
After that short interlude, the group travelled straight towards the Fourteenth Floor where the Goblin Shaman spawned.
When they came across a party with a Goblin Shaman, William didn't bat an eye and immediately skewered it with a Glacial Lance. Although this creature, that had once terrorized him during his childhood, was no longer a threat to him, he still didn't want to take any chances and killed it on the spot.
"Don't worry, I'll let you fight one later," William said as he held Wendy's waist. He knew that his lover had a vendetta against Goblin Shamans, but he was under a strict time limit. The Half-Elf was confident that he wouldn't need twenty-four hours to clear the dungeon. Even so, he didn't want to be careless so he dealt with the immediate threat before things got out of hand.
An hour later, they arrived at the Twentieth Floor where the second Boss of the Goblin Crypt was waiting for them.
This was the first time that William would see the Boss on the Twentieth Floor of the Dungeon. William didn't want to admit it, but he had always wondered what the second boss would be like.
Soon, the torches in the arena blazed and a two meter tall goblin appeared in front of them. William raised his brow when he saw the boss that was flanked by two dozen Hobgoblins composed of Shamans, Warriors, and Hunters.
William's Appraisal Skill buzzed as the information of the boss appeared on his Status Page.
Chapter 399: Conquering The Goblin Crypt [Part 2]
< Goblin Chieftain >
— Dungeon Boss
— Goblin Overlord
— Threat Level: Class B (High)
— The Great Chieftain of the Goblin Race is known for its wild and chaotic side. It is very accustomed to bullying those who are weaker than it and will often go on warring expeditions against other Goblins in order to assimilate them into his tribe.
— The Goblin Chieftain also likes to pillage Human villages in order to capture the women and young girls to serve as his tribe's broodmares. They are well-known for being lustful creatures and have always been on the list of Top Ten Creatures that the Adventurers should eliminate at all cost.
—–
With a guttural roar, the Goblin Chieftain charged towards William like a mad beast. It became jealous of William because there was one beautiful girl by his side. As a lustful beast, it wanted to capture the girl and have its way with her.
William snorted and was about to fight the Goblin Chieftain head-on. However, he wasn't able to do that because Ian and Wendy, who stood by his side, had already charged at the Goblin Chief with their weapons drawn.
Ian's sword whip and Wendy's spear collided with the double scimitars that the Goblin Chieftain was wielding. Ashe transformed into her mermaid form at the same time that Wendy unleashed her Magic.
The two girls worked together in order to keep the monster at bay, while the rest of the goats cleared up the Goblin Chieftain's subordinates.
William knew that Ashe and Wendy were not fragile flowers that had to be locked up in crystal vases to be admired. Both of them were warriors, and they had their pride as warriors. The two girls were giving William a subtle hint, and the Half-Elf understood their intentions.
'We will not just watch from the side and let you do all the fighting,' Ashe said internally as the sword in her hand transformed into a whip made of water.
Wendy firmly gripped her spear as she prepared to use one of her powerful attacks in order to deal with the Goblin Chieftain who had entered a berserked state.
'Watch me, Will. I'll show you what I can do!' Wendy channeled her Magic Power to the tip of her
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spear and exchanged a glance with Ashe before going in for the kill.
"Rain Cutter!"
"Infinity Spear!"
The water whip in Ashe's hand blurred as it lashed out towards the body of the Goblin Chieftain, leaving deep gashes in its chest.
Wendy thrust her spear forward and several steel spikes embedded themselves in the Goblin Chieftain's body.
Both girls were still not finished with their merciless combination and pummeled the berserked Goblin Chieftain over and over until it drew its last breath.
Both girls were at the initial stages of the Gold Rank, while William was in the initial stages of the Platinum Rank. Originally, the two of them were only at the peak of Silver Rank. However, due to their desire to become stronger during the war, they trained hard and absorbed Magic Crystals in order to finally advance to their next rank.
This happened while William was still in a coma and he was pleasantly surprised to see that girls had increased their fighting prowess.
"Great job, both of you," William praised the two girls who were panting for breath.
The Goblin Chieftain was a rank higher than both of them. But due to their combined efforts, they were able to neutralize its threat by bombarding it with spells that made it unable to utilize its strength to the fullest.
Also, there was a certain red-headed boy who was using subtle dark magic spells to weaken the Goblin Chieftain without letting the two girls find out. As someone that had trained with Celine for many years, the boy had learned a few tricks from her.
Oliver, who was hiding in William's shadow, nodded his head in appreciation. He had been with William many times to act as a bodyguard, so he was well aware of the red-headed boy's personality.
His actions to help the two girls made Oliver realize how much William cared about them. The Parrot Monkey sighed in his heart and wished that his ward, Celine, was there to see how much the boy had grown.
He was also starting to doubt if William was really the Prince in the Prophecy. At the beginning, Oliver wanted William to be the Prince of Darkness. Why? Because if that happened then he would definitely choose Celine over Celeste when that time came.
However, after being with him for so long, he wished that it were not true.
After all, in order to become the Prince who wielded the power of Darkness, William must allow himself to be corrupted by darkness and accept it wholeheartedly.
Celine and the Parrot Monkey had already seen William's state when he had lost all hope for Humanity. Both of them didn't want to see him like that ever again.
'I'll just let nature take its course.' Oliver sighed for the second time. 'There's no use worrying about things outside of our control.'
Oliver watched as the two girls exchanged a high five before looking back at William with smug expressions on their faces. William smiled and looked at his two lovers with gentle eyes.
The Parrot Monkey hoped that the time would come when someone would also look at Celine with eyes filled with love and affection.
'If William isn't the Prince then so be it,' Oliver thought. 'However, if any other bastard Prince dares to harm my Mistress, I will rip him apart and feed him to the fishes. I don't care if he's the Prince of Darkness or Prince of Blackness. Anyone who makes Celine cry will die in my hands.'
It was still a few years before the prophecy was to be fulfilled. Until then, Oliver would watch over his Prince Candidate and see for himself if the red-headed boy, whom he had personally trained, would fall into despair and allow himself to be corrupted by Darkness.
Chapter 400: Boss Room Battle [Part 1]
'We are now inside the room of the dungeon core.'
Erchitu's telepathic message echoed inside William's consciousness as he made his report.
'Understood,' William replied. 'Stay there for the time being, we just finished beating the boss on the twentieth floor.'
After finishing his short chat with Erchitu, William urged his team to step up the pace. After the continuous battles they faced in the Goblin Crypt, William's Quick Shot Shepherd Job Class had increased its level and was now at level sixteen.
They didn't focus on killing monsters, and prioritized going to the lower floors as fast as they could. Finally, when they reached the 30th Floor, William felt that something was off.
They didn't meet any goblins along the way as they headed towards the boss room. He was expecting staunch opposition from the monsters once they arrived on the last floor, but so far, nothing blocked their way, which made William, and the rest of his team confused.
"Stay alert," William reminded everyone as they delved deeper on the last floor of the Goblin Crypt.
In time, they finally arrived at their destination. A four-meter tall golden gate barred their path. This was the Boss Room and the final hurdle in clearing the Dungeon. William glanced at everyone in his group and they all nodded their heads in unison.
Ian and Wendy held their weapons firmly and Psoglav had already summoned its clone. The Angorian Ibexes and the Cercopes Monkeys had also prepared themselves for the last battle inside the Goblin Crypt.
William pushed open the gates and what greeted them was pitch black darkness. Even with his Dark Vision, William couldn't see past two meters in front of him. He summoned his wooden staff and took a step forward.
His party followed him inside with bated breaths. When the last Cercopes Monkey had entered the Boss Room, the two golden gates immediately closed. Darkness descended upon the party for a brief moment before the torches hanging on the walls flared up one by one.
William drew a deep breath when he saw the final challenge that he was about to face.
Thousands of Hobgoblins–composed of Warriors, Hunters, Shamans, Berserkers, Hobgoblin Leaders, and a Hobgoblin Chieftain–appeared before their very eyes.
William raised his head to look at what seemed to be an elevated platform at the very back of the arena and saw a Hobgoblin that was two and a half meters tall.
It held a jeweled bronze staff in its hand and its light-green eyes glowed with power. William had fought a similar Hobgoblin in the Heavenly Domain, but this creature in front of him was vastly different from the one he faced.
It was as if it was more intelligent compared to other Hobgoblins, which made William very wary. Immediately, he activated his Appraisal Skill to check the Final Boss that he needed to defeat in order to conquer the Goblin Crypt.
—–
< Hobgoblin Witch Doctor >
— Contracted Monster
— Humanoid
— Threat Level: S (Centennial Low)
— Centennial Monster
— Hobgoblin Witch Doctors are considered as one of the most powerful mages in the Hobgoblin World. They are Dual Element Casters which would be very hard to defeat unless you had protective gear that could resist curses and other mind-affecting spells.
— They are highly intelligent creatures that will use anything to their advantage. It is advisable to fight them with strong and experienced warriors who have fought against them in the past. This will increase the chances of your party beating this monster with minimal casualties.
—–
'A contracted beast,' William frowned.
This was the first time he had seen a Contracted Monster acting as a leader of a Monster Army inside a Dungeon. William was very curious to know how this
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happened, but he wasn't in the right environment to find answers.
Right now, there was only one thing he needed to do and that was to… fight!
"Ian, Wendy, eat the Chocolate Lollipops I gave you earlier," William ordered.
The two girls didn't question William's order and immediately took out and ate the lollipops that they had stored inside their storage rings earlier.
William summoned Stormcaller and firmly gripped it in his hands.
"Gate Open!" William shouted.
Several portals appeared behind his back and Fenrir, the Trollhounds, the Rainbow Birds, the Blood Eagle Scadrez, the Centaurs, the Crimson Cavern Wolf Spiders, five Black-Winged Panthers, and the Supreme Killer Koalas appeared inside the Dungeon.
William summoned all the members of his King's Legion that were above Rank C in this fight against the thousands of Goblins that ranked from the peak of Rank D up to the Centennial Rank.
William's Quick-Shot Shepherd Job Class had 16 levels. Because of Gavin's blessing, each time the level of his Job Class increased, he would receive three skill points instead of two. This gave the Half-Elf a total of 48 Skill Points which he used to max out some of the skills in his Skill Tree.
Among the skills that were at their max level were…
—–
< Quick Shot War Art >
(Requires 10 Skill Points to Unlock)
(Active Skill)
— Allow the Quick Shot Shepherd to Employ his own War Arts
— The maximum number of War Arts that can be created is thirteen.
—–
< Heroism >
(Requires 10 Skill Points to Unlock)
(Passive Skill)
— When members of the Herd are fighting against opponents that are a Rank or several Ranks higher than them, all of their stats will increase by 50%
—–
< Shepherd's Blessing >
(Requires 10 Skill Points to Unlock)
(Active Skill)
— The Shepherd may choose one blessing to bestow upon the entire Herd. Each spell gives a corresponding +20 Enhancement to their respective stats.
— Only one blessing can be active at a time.
— Ox's Strength
— Feline's Grace
— Hawk's Splendor
— Wolf's Cunning
— Turtle's Wisdom
—–
< Beacon of Hope >
(Requires 10 Skill Points to Unlock)
(Passive Skill)
— Every member of the Shepherd's Legion receives +50 Enhancement to all stats.
—–
< Herd Immunity >
(Requires 5 Skill Points to Unlock)
(Passive Skill)
— All members of the King's Legion gain all of the Shepherd's natural resistances.
— If the Shepherd has an immunity to status ailments or diseases, all members of the Herd would share this immunity.
—–
The three remaining skill points were added to his Beast Taming Skill.
< Beast Taming >
( Skill Level: 3 / 5 )
(Active Skill)
— Throw an orb of light to any Beasts that can be tamed.
— The chances of Taming will increase if the Beast is weaker than the Shepherd.
— The chances of Taming will increase if the Beast has a good impression of the Shepherd
— The chances of Taming will increase if the Beast is in a weakened state.
— Only applicable to Herd Type Beasts
—–
"Ox's Strength." William chanted and the members of his King's Legion suddenly had their Strength Stat increased by 20 points.
This skill was only supposed to work for Herd type creatures. However, David and Issei worked together to upgrade the skill in order to allow William to buff his entire King's Legion, instead of limiting it to the members of his Herd.
The collaboration of the two Gods allowed William to make all the empowering spells in his skill tree to work with the members of his King's Legion as well.
Another skill that had received an upgrade from the two Gods, was the Beacon of Hope that increases all the stats of William's Legion by an additional 50 points.
The Herd immunity was also another skill that made William's King's Legion very impressive. Since the Half-Elf had powerful resistances against Dark Magic and Mind Affecting Spells, the members of his Legion also benefited from this.
Last, but not the least, was the Heroism Skill. This passive ability was probably one of the most amazing skills in William's Quick-Shot Shepherd Job Class.
This skill boosted all the stats of the members of his King's Legion by 50%. What did that mean? It meant that his already strong army would receive an additional boost if they were facing an enemy that was stronger than them.
In this case, the Centennial Ranked Monster they were facing counted as a monster stronger than them. But, aside from this 50% boost, there was also an additional boost that came from his Basic Shepherd Job Class.
His first skill, Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, gives an additional +10 to all stats to the member of his Legion.
His other stat boosting skill, Way of the Shepherd, gave a 20% increase to the stats of the members of his King's Legion as well.
——
(A/N: To give an example, the stats of Chronos, who is one of the team leaders of William's Herd, would have these stats once all the buffs are applied.)
Name: Chronos
Race: Angorian War Ibex
Level: 40
Health Points: 47,600 / 47,600
Mana Points: 9,350 / 9,350
< Strength: 101 (+207) >
< Agility: 158 (+213) >
< Vitality: 80 (+158) >
< Intelligence: 50 (+137) >
< Dexterity: 40 (+130) >
Due to the additional buffs, Chronos had jumped from a Class C Beast to the initial stages of a Class A Beast. This incredible skill lineup would make any member of Wiliam's King's Legion Wolves in Sheep's Clothing.
—–
The stronger members of William's Legion also received these buffs, which made them more formidable. Psoglav had entered the Pseudo-Centennial Rank Category due to the massive boost in its own stats.
The Demonic Dog laughed out loud as he faced the thousands of Hobgoblins as if they were five-year old kids waiting to get spanked.
William and the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor glared at each other before giving the order to attack. The two sides collided and the blood of friends and foes alike stained the floor of the Boss Room in a dark-red hue.