Collection 1 Chapter 34 401-410

Chapter 401: Boss Room Battle [Part 2]

William switched his Subclass to Ice Wizard and buffed all the members of his King's Legion with Ice Armor. Although they were already strong enough to resist the disparity in numbers, he didn't want to take any chances and bolstered their defenses as well.

After imparting the defensive buff to everyone, William jumped on Ella's back and charged through the thousand strong Goblin Army. His target was the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor that was busy casting enhancement spells on its army.

Ironically, this particular Hobgoblin Witch Doctor's second elemental magic was Life Magic.

Life magic specialized in healing and providing beneficial buffs to anyone, which made the thousand strong Goblin Army more formidable.

The only saving grace was that the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor had just recently reached the Centennial Rank and its pool of Mana wasn't large enough to give its entire army strong buffs. However, it was highly intelligent and focused its powerful buffs on the Elites of its Army, namely the Hobgoblin Leaders, Berserkers, Goblin Shamans, and Hobgoblin Chieftain.

The violent collision of weapons, horns, claws, fangs, talons, and magic erupted inside the Boss Room.

William knew that taking out the greatest threat would ease the burden on his Legion. It was quite unfortunate that he couldn't summon the members of the Minotaur Tribe that were currently inside the room of the Dungeon Core, inside the other Goblin Crypt.

A powerful barrier seemed to be in place which prevented this from happening.

William entrusted Ian's and Wendy's safety to the Black-Winged Panthers that were known for their all-around offensive and defensive abilities.

"I'm Rolling!"

Kasogonaga's adorable voice was drowned out by the war cries of the Hobgoblins that were dead set on turning it into chopped tofu. Fortunately, the rainbow-colored Anteater was not a vegetarian and flattened everything that blocked its path.

Its protective scales were among the hardest scales in the world of Hestia, which had earned it the moniker of Rolling Calamity among its peers.

The Rainbow Birds cursed out loud as they used their lollipops to fire Magic Missiles to decimate the bulk of the Goblin Army.

"Stupid Hobgoblins!"

"Sh*t faced, green-skinned p*ssies!"

"Fck off!"

They were the loudest beasts among William's Legion and their curses made all the Hobgoblins mad with anger. Because of this, their numbers were thinned greatly by the Hobgoblin Hunters that targeted them specifically because of their obnoxious mouths.

Fenrir and his pack of Trollhounds were at the very front of the battle, engaging the Hobgoblins in a deathmatch. Due to their powerful regeneration ability, they were able to stand back up even after being hacked repeatedly.

The most notorious fighters among William's party were none other than the Supreme Killer Koalas, that had turned into Giant Rabid Beasts, that ripped apart everything that was within the reach of their massive claws.

Their skin was very tough and

even though there were dozens of arrows embedded in their bodies, their onslaught never stopped.

If they could speak in Human Language, all of them would just say "Tis but a scratch" and continue their killing spree.

The Centaurs, on the other hand, used their amazing marksmanship and rained arrows upon the Goblin Army. William's buffs had also been applied to them and they had jumped from being Class C Beasts to Rank A Beasts.

Bastian and his comrades were very surprised by this additional boost in their strength. However, this was no time to consult William about it. They just focused on thinning out the Goblin Army with their long-ranged attacks.

—–

Meanwhile, deep inside the Magic Crystal Cavern, Thor and Ragnar started to stir.

Magical energies gathered inside their bodies like a whirlpool as their bodies glowed. Dia, who was sleeping beside her two brothers, remained asleep. She was not aware of the changes that were happening in her surroundings.

—–

Ian and Wendy fought back to back while being guarded by the five Black-Winged Panthers.

These magical beasts were some of the latest additions to William's Herd and their powers had also increased due to William's buffs. The Pantheress, whom William called Shalla, was the biggest Panther among the group.

She had opted to accept William's invitation to join his Legion rather than leave the Thousand Beast Domain.

The reason? The Pantheress had a feeling that if she let go of this opportunity, she would miss out on a lot of things. Although Black-Winged Panthers were generally solitary creatures, they had decided to stick together and form a group in order to survive inside the Hidden Valley where the entrance of the Undying Lands was located.

Because of this, they remained as one of the dominant groups in the hierarchy and none dared to mess with them.

Shalla also understood that she needed to make contributions in order for William to recognize them. Right now, her task was to protect the Half-Elves lovers, and she and her team of Black-Winged Panthers ensured that the two ladies were safe.

They used their wings that were as hard as steel to block the rain of arrows that were aimed at the two girls. The Panthers also went out of their way to block the Dark Magic Spells, that were aimed at William's lovers, with their bodies.

Due to the resistance that William had towards Dark Magic, these spells only left minor scratches on their tough, magical, bodies.

Ian and Wendy understood that William had assigned the Beasts to protect them, so they didn't charge into the center of the fray like William and the War Ibexes. They only fought at the front lines, helping the Trollhounds and the Cercopes Monkey to decrease their enemies' numbers.

Stormcaller rumbled in William's hand and icycle shards flew in the air. The Hobgoblin Chieftain, and Leaders who were guarding the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor clashed with William and his goats.

'Go, Will,' Ella said as she stomped her hooves at the Hobgoblin Chieftain who brandished its scimitars at her. 'Leave these Hobgoblins to us. Take down their leader first.'

"Understood. Take care, Mama," William replied as he jumped off her back and charged towards the Contracted Monster that was surrounded by Hobgoblins on all sides.

(A/N: Yes. This is how Ella and William usually communicate. Outsiders only hear "Meeeh". So, are you an outsider or not? Kekekeke!)

Stormcaller shone brightly as lightning bolts emerged from its tip. William thrust his spear and blasted away the Hobgoblins that were blocking his way.

The smell of charred flesh permeated the air, but that didn't stop the Hobgoblins from closing the gap as they charged at William with blood-shot eyes.

"Icycle Realm!" William roared and everything around him was surrounded in razor sharp icicle spikes that jutted out of the ground.

The Icycle Realm is William's Territory spell. Similar to a Battle Domain, it allowed William to create a field of razor sharp icicles that would soon explode and turn into sharp projectiles that would pierce, slash, and cut anything they come in contact with, except for William and his allies.

The Hobgoblin Defenders screamed in pain as sharp icicles pierced their bodies. Using this brief lapse in their formation, William brandished his spear and cut their heads off from their bodies.

The Hobgoblin Witch Doctor pointed its gnarled fingers at William, while chanting a spell. William smiled evilly as he held the spear in his hands and aimed it at the defenders that had formed a wall in front of the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor in the distance.

"Quick Shot Shepherd Fourth Form…" William shouted. "Grand Bazooka!"

Chapter 402: Boss Room Battle [End]

A powerful explosion erupted from the tip of Stormcaller and blew away the Hobgoblins that had formed a wall to protect their leader.

Due to the spear's elemental power of lightning, the Grand Bazooka was infused with the Lightning Element. All of William's Quick-Shot Shepherd skills have no elemental affinity. They were empowered by William's Aura.

It is similar to the cases where he had infused his weapons with aura to allow them to attack like a remote controlled weapon.

William skidded a few meters away due to the recoil of this War Art, but his strong body prevented him from getting seriously injured. As soon as the smoke of the explosion cleared, several void arrows flew in William's direction which the red-headed boy dodged with ease.

He didn't waste this opportunity and used his movement technique to close the gap between him and the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor.

Soon, the jeweled bronze staff and Stormcaller clashed against each other. To William's surprise, the staff actually managed to withstand his full-powered spear strike with ease.

The Hobgoblin Witch Doctor slammed the end of its staff towards the ground, causing a magic circle to appear under its feet.

From it, a two-meter tall, Black-Scaled Salamander emerged.

As soon as it appeared, it lashed its massive tail out at William, which the latter dodged by a hair's breadth. After its attack ended, it immediately released a scorching fire breath towards William as its second greeting.

The red-headed boy immediately backed away as he raised his hand to cast a five-layered wall of ice to block the Salamander's attack.

The walls of ice exploded, but it was able to cancel the fire breath, which gave the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor time to create spectral hands and a doppelganger of itself, which allowed it to cast a barrage of dark spells towards William whose Ice Walls had fallen apart.

William clicked his tongue as he dodged the volley of spells that forced him to once again distance himself from his opponent.

The Half-Elf activated his Appraisal Skill to see the information of the summoned beast that made his battle more difficult.

< Black-Scaled Salamander >

— Fire Breathing Amphibian

— Summoned Beast

— Threat Level: Class A (Mid)

— This Giant Salamander usually lives near active volcanoes because they prefer extremely hot regions to strengthen their bodies.

— They are able to swim and dive inLava that is hot enough to completely melt a Human's body within half a minute of submersion.

— They are very aggressive creatures and will even fight their own kind when their territories are intruded upon.

— Their bites are also very poisonous, so extreme care is needed when fighting against them.

——

'Just great,' William thought as he held Stormcaller in a fighting stance. 'This Contracted Beast sure has many tricks under its sleeve.'

Frankly, William was very impressed with the Master of the Monster that he was fighting right now. Clearly, the Salamander was the Contracted Beast of the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor, which was the Contracted Monster of its Master.

The Half-Elf frowned as he briefly scanned his surroundings. Most of the Hobgoblins

around him were being held back by Ella and the goats, creating a clearing for him to fight against the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor, without worrying about outside reinforcements.

If he had wanted to kill the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor, William would have definitely used his fatal techniques like Gaebolg to attempt to kill it, or at least, give it a serious injury. However, William didn't do that.

He was very curious about how a Contracted Beast was able to take command of the Monsters inside a dungeon. Also, Williams was also very curious to know the identity of the Master that had turned the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor into its servant.

William didn't know that the Witch Doctor that he was fighting was the same monster that had secretly attacked Wendy, Spencer, Brutus and Bruno during their Dungeon exploration.

While the war between the Hellan Kingdom and the two Dynasties was underway, Kent snuck inside the dungeon and gave his pet plenty of resources. The contracted Hobgoblin Shaman used this opportunity to make its breakthrough, and evolved into the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor.

Kent was one of the captains of The Organization working under Conner and Calum. These two gave him the opportunity to spoil his pet, and increase its rank. With the Hobgoblin Shaman's help, he was able to collect slaves and sell them to Deus.

Kent's end-game plan was to use his pet to take full control of the Goblin Crypt and use it as his own personal Reserved Army that he could use whenever he wanted. The plan succeeded and the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor had become the Hobgoblin's leader.

Unfortunately, Kent was sent to the far away Kingdom of Freesia to capture the Royal Family once the Continental Spell had been invoked. Unfortunately, their victory was short-lived and they were forced to retreat due to the arrival of the Kraetor Empire.

William eyed the arrogant Hobgoblin Witch Doctor that was currently riding on the Black-Scaled Salamander's back.

While he was thinking of a way to subdue the contracted beast that had summoned its backup, an idea popped inside William's head. He had long wondered if it was possible, but he hadn't put it into practice.

He had also forgotten to ask Sancus, The God of Contracts, if his idea was possible.

"Only one way to find out," William muttered as he narrowed his eyes. "Icycle Realm!"

A field of Icicles erupted from the ground and trapped the Salamander and the Hobgoblin at its center. A magical barrier enveloped the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor while the Black-Scaled Salamander endured the razor sharp icicles that weren't able to penetrate the scales of its body.

William used this opportunity to close off the distance and…

"Pocket Cube, go!" William shouted as he threw one of Magical Cubes that had been gifted to him by Sancus.

The cube expanded its size and enclosed the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor which was still inside its own magical barrier.

The cube immediately shrank in size as it flew back to Wiliam's hand. William grabbed the cube firmly in his hand as the Hobgoblin Witch Doctor tried to break free from its prison.

William sneered at its futile attempt to escape. Sancus had given him a guarantee that any beast that was of the Centennial Rank and below would be captured without fail. What the Half-Elf wanted to find out was whether it was able to capture Contracted Beasts as well.

He wondered if the runes personally inscribed by the God of Contracts himself could forcefully break the contract of others.

Soon, the cube stopped shaking and stayed still in William's hand.

William smiled evilly as he tossed the cube in front of him, releasing his newly acquired Hobgoblin Witch Doctor.

The Black-Scaled Salamander had a dumbfounded look on its face as it looked at its contractor. It could still sense the connection between the two of them, but something felt different.

"Tell everyone to stop fighting," William ordered.

The Hobgoblin Witch Doctor gave the Half-Elf an unwilling gaze before uttering a loud shriek which reverberated inside the Boss Room.

As soon as the Hobgoblins heard this cry, all of them stopped fighting. The Black-Scaled Salamander also lowered its head in submission to its Master's order.

The battlefield quieted down as both sides stopped their attempts to kill each other. They all looked at the red-headed boy who had a scammer's smile plastered on his handsome face.

"It works! Hahahaaha! I'm so awesome!" William laughed out loud because his suspicion had been confirmed.

The Half-Elf's joyous laughter resounded in the battlefield, which made both friends and foes alike look at him weirdly.

William didn't care about the stares of everyone around him as he laughed out loud due to happiness. Along with ending the battle inside the Boss Room, William had also gained a powerful Hobgoblin Witch Doctor in the process.

Not only that, he was also able to make hundreds of Hobgoblin Elites part of his King's Legion as well. With this, William's private army numbered in the thousands.

On that day, William's Thousand Beast Army had finally become a reality.

Chapter 403: We, Are, Never, Alone!

After the great battle on the thirtieth floor, William, Ian, and Wendy, entered the room where the Dungeon Core was located.

This was not the first time that William had seen a dungeon core because he had already dealt with two during the Dungeon Outbreak months ago.

Following Takam's orders, he pressed the Ring of Conquest against the Dungeon Core of the Goblin Crypt. The core glowed brightly and illuminated the entire room. William closed his eyes because the brightness was too much for his eyes.

When the light receded, he found himself face to face with a man who seemed to be in his mid-twenties. The man had red-hair, and silver-gray eyes that seemed to be looking straight at him.

William was about to say something, but the man had beaten him into it.

"Welcome my son, or my daughter," the man said with a smile. "Forgive me, but I have no idea if you are a boy or a girl. All I know is that, if you are seeing me right now then you are definitely my child and Arwen's."

The corner of the man's lips raised a little as if he was fondly remembering his beloved. William's heart was beating wildly inside his chest. His initial suspicion about this dungeon expedition had finally become a reality.

"I am your father," the red-haired man declared. "Maxwell Von Ainsworth, the one and only Dungeon Conqueror in the entire world of Hestia."

There was a brief pose before Maxwell continued his explanation.

"As you may have already guessed, this is just a recorded message that I have left inside the Ring of Conquest," Maxwell explained. "The reason why I did this is simple. I want you to inherit my powers and become the new Dungeon Conqueror.

"I don't know how old you are right now, but since you are seeing this recorded message now means only one thing. You are strong enough to meet the requirements to become my rightful successor. There can only be one Dungeon Conqueror at any given time, but I found a way to bypass this rule."

Maxwell smiled mischievously as he winked at William.

Seeing his father's playful behavior made William feel that the two of them would definitely get along if they were to meet in real life. Along with this realization, the Half-Elf felt sad because of the missed opportunity of being able to live as a whole family with his mother and father.

"I have transferred my power as the Dungeon Conqueror inside the Ring of Conquest, which has prevented anyone from acquiring this rare profession," Maxwell stated. "And now, I will bestow this hard-sought profession onto you. Although it isn't much, this is the only thing that I can give to you as your father.

"The Goblin Crypt was the very first dungeon that I ever explored when I was young and foolish. Have you met the Goblin Shaman? That

bastard sure plays dirty!" Maxwell chuckled. "When I finally reached the twentieth floor and beat the Boss Monster, I came face to face with the Dungeon Core."

Maxwell crossed his arms over his chest as his expression became serious.

"The moment I touched the Dungeon Core was the same moment that my life changed forever," Maxwell said. "That was when I acquired the power of the Dungeon Conqueror. However, I didn't have the strength, or the qualifications, to conquer the Goblin Crypt at that time. Because of this, I left my mark on the Dungeon Core before leaving the dungeon."

"Many years have passed since then, and I had forgotten to return and recapture the first dungeon that I had cleared. Instead, I captured other dungeons and they became part of my power. Fortunately, I forgot about the Goblin Crypt at the time, because, if not, I would not be able to give you this opportunity."

Maxwell raised his hand and the ring on William's hand glowed brightly. William felt an incredible surge of power enveloped his entire body before a series of notifications appeared on his Status Page.

—–

< Ding! >

< Congratulations! You have acquired a Unique Prestige Class! >

< Prestige Class: Dungeon Conqueror >

— Host has acquired skill "Dungeon Conqueror".

— Host has acquired skill "Dungeon Management".

— Host has learned the skill "Dungeon Search"

— Host had acquired the title "Dungeon Master."

—–

< Dungeon Conqueror >

— A unique profession that allows its bearer the ability to subjugate, manipulate, and control the dungeons that they have conquered.

— Thousands of years ago, there was a Dungeon that had a hundred floors and went by the name Ascalon. It was a dungeon where Dragon Type Monsters spawned, and was also considered to be Humanity's greatest adversary during the Dark Era of Mankind.

— The Strongest Heroes of that time worked hand in hand in order to conquer the dungeon. One of these Heroes became the first Dungeon Conqueror.

— Whenever the Dungeon Conqueror dies, the power he possessed will disperse into the world and look for its next successor.

–Only one Dungeon Conqueror can exist at any given time.

—–

< Dungeon Conqueror >

— Allows the ability to conquer a dungeon and make it a part of your power.

— Requirements: Beat the Last Boss of the Dungeon and absorb the Dungeon Core.

< Dungeon Management >

— Allows the Dungeon Conqueror to manage any dungeon that he has conquered.

< Dungeon Search >

— Teleport to one random dungeon anywhere in the world of Hestia.

— Once this skill is activated, the Dungeon Conqueror could no longer use it unless they conquered the Dungeon that had been randomly chosen.

—-

< Dungeon Master >

"I come as one, but I stand in the tens of thousands!"

— Adds an additional 50 points to all stats.

— Increase the spawn rate of Dungeon Monsters by 20%

—–

William took deep breaths as he reigned in the new power that he had acquired from his father. Maxwell simply stood still as if he was already expecting this to happen. Five minutes later, the red-headed man continued his explanation.

"Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Conqueror," Maxwell said, his voice laced with pride. "As expected of my child."

Maxwell clapped his hands as if to praise William for a job well done. Half a minute later, he stopped clapping and a teasing smile appeared on his handsome face.

"Your first Dungeon is the Goblin Crypt, but it is only the beginning. Unfortunately, you won't be able to conquer another dungeon because of the limitations that I have placed in the Ring of Conquest. In order to break this limit, you need to travel to the Central Continent. Once you're there, one of my acquaintances will come find you.

"You don't need to look for him, because he will immediately sense your presence once you step into the lands where the true powers in this world congregate. He may not appear right away, because he is a stubborn bastard, but rest assured he will appear when he has determined that you have met the next requirement as Dungeon Conqueror."

Maxwell's image started to fade and William reached out his hand unconsciously in order to touch his father, whom he was seeing for the first time in his life.

"My Child, I don't know what kind of challenges you will have in the future, or the enemies you have to face, but know this," Maxwell said as William's hand passed through his body. "A Dungeon Conqueror never fights alone. We, Are, Never, Alone!"

Maxwell's powerful voice reverberated as his projection faded completely. However, there was one final message that reached William's ears as the pure-white-world crumbled into pieces.

"I come as one, but I stand in the tens of thousands!"

Chapter 404: The Color Of Your Blood Is The Same As Mine

"Arslan, what do we do now?" a pretty girl asked the teenage boy who was seated on top of a boulder.

Arslan sighed as he looked at the map in front of him. Surrounding him were over two hundred young men and women who were waiting for him to make a decision.

They were considered to be the elite among the young generation of the Zelan Dynasty. However, against the might of the Elves, there was nothing they could do.

"The capital and the four surrounding cities around it have already fallen to the Elves," Arslan said in a serious tone. "According to our friends that are staying in the North, the Elves seemed to be building a teleportation gate."

The faces of everyone surrounding him immediately turned grim. They were geniuses in their own right, so they fully understood what building a teleportation gate meant.

"They plan to bring in more reinforcements?!" the pretty girl gasped. "W-What do we do now?"

This was the question of everyone who had followed Arslan, who was hailed to be the best prodigy of the Zelan Dynasty. This same prodigy gathered all of his acquaintances and escaped the capital which was now being controlled by the Elves.

In the beginning, they thought about helping their other friends who had been captured by the invaders. However, after a few skirmishes, their numbers had dwindled in size due to the Elves' superior strength in battle.

After a series of defeats, they escaped to the edges of their kingdom, and hid in a forest near the Hellan Border, where the Fortress that James had defended was located.

Arslan scratched his dark brown hair, as he looked at the map in front of him. They had already retreated far enough in the hope that they could organize a mobile army that could do guerilla warfare with the Elves.

However, after their first few skirmishes, they finally understood that the Elves outclassed them both in physical, and Magical prowess. The elves were also proficient in forest warfare, which made things very difficult for Arslan and his team of freedom fighters.

"Paul, you said that the Crown Prince left for the Hellan Kingdom, right?" Arslan asked. "Where in the Hellan Kingdom was he headed?"

Paul, one of the Prince's loyal subjects, stood up to answer Arslan's inquiry.

"Back then, I was with the royal guards who bought time for the Crown Prince to make his escape," Paul replied. "His Highness said, 'Iif I am able to escape the Elven pursuers, I will head to the Town of Lont located in the Hellan Kingdom'."

"Do you know it's exact location?"

"According to the Crown Prince it is found on the outskirts of the Western Part of the Hellan Kingdom."

Arslan rubbed his chin as he contemplated their next course of action. This was the first time that he had learned of the town of Lont and wondered why the Prince left to go to that place.

'There must be a reason why he decided to go there of all places,' Arslan thought. 'I guess we should meet up with His Highness first and think of a way to make a comeback.'

Arslan rolled the map and returned it to his storage ring. He then scanned the faces of the survivors who had resisted the Elves alongside him.

"I'm sure that all of you have realized it by now, but we don't stand a chance against the Elven Prodigies," Arslan said. "I hate to admit this, but they are

stronger than us."

The teenagers around him reluctantly nodded their heads in agreement. This was the truth, and there was no use in trying to deny it.

"Our Crown Prince had fled to this town called Lont," Arslan continued his explanation. "It would be best if we reunite with him and plan our next course of action. Do any of you have any objections?"

Arslan waited for someone to object, but a minute passed and no one said anything. After this brief silence, he nodded his head and gave out his order.

"Paul, go to–"

Arslan immediately dodged to the side as an arrow passed through the spot where he sat a while ago.

"Everyone, follow Paul and retreat!" Arslan ordered. "Paul, I'll leave them in your hands. Find His Highness!"

"What about you?!" Paul asked as he summoned his short sword and shield to stand beside Arslan.

Several whistling sounds echoed inside the forest as a storm of arrows rained upon Arslan and the other survivors.

"I'll hold them back!" Arslan said as he created a dome of Earth to block the arrows aimed at them. "Go now! I'll buy you as much time as I can!"

Paul gritted his teeth as he ran, leading the other survivors with him. The other children looked back at their leader who had created a great wall of Earth in order to delay the Elves' advance.

The sounds of explosions resounded in the forest as Arslan fought tooth and nail against an Elven Platoon that was sent to look for their whereabouts.

The Elves had played a little game among themselves and made bets on which team would be able to catch Arslan and his subordinates. Due to their superior strength and abilities, they didn't even bother to call their comrades to assist them in capturing the freedom fighters.

Arslan, was at the peak of the Platinum Rank, and was a match for an Elven Prodigy. However, this was not a one on one battle. He was fighting against Thirty Elven Prodigies.

The word fighting was an exaggeration. What he was doing was merely buying some time for his comrades to escape as he created a spiked wall of Earth to prevent the Elves from crossing over.

The sounds of explosions resounded on the other side of the Earthen Wall. Aslan, on the other hand, who had his hands pressed against the Earth, was sweating buckets. He was channeling all of his strength into keeping the wall from falling apart due to the Elven bombardment.

Ten minutes later, the bombardment stopped and the Earthen Wall collapsed. Arslan panted as he held two short swords in his hand as he faced the hateful Elves who had made his friends prisoners.

"Looks like we got lucky, Captain." A handsome elf whistled as he looked at Arslan. "We caught the Big Fish."

A delicate looking Elf Girl smiled as she appraised the sole Human teenager who was standing before them.

"Well, I guess his looks are above average in terms of Human standards. However, they are still not good enough," the Elf Girl said as ripples of Wind Magic formed around her hands. "Capture him alive. Commander Elandorr has given us strict orders to bring him back to the capital. You can break his arms and legs, but none of you are allowed to kill him."

""Yes!""

The Elven fighters grinned as they charged towards Arslan who had already taken a fighting stance. For them, this game of cat and mouse was a very entertaining way to spend their time in the Human lands.

They had grown bored because those who tried to resist them had failed miserably. Only Arslan and his band of freedom fighters were able to survive their repeated attempts to capture all of them in a drag net.

Arslan stood his ground, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he was captured. Even so, he was the type that wouldn't go down without a fight. When the first Elf came within his strike range, he unleashed the Earthen Trap he had prepared beforehand.

When he set up the wall, he had also prepared a nasty surprise for the arrogant long-eared brats who looked down upon the Human race.

An explosion followed by a cry of pain reverberated in the forest as Arslan's special ability, Earth Bomb, exploded upon the unsuspecting elf who had stepped onto it unknowingly.

The explosion decimated the Elf's entire leg and stained the ground in red. Arslan's victim screamed in pain and rolled on the ground, making the other Elves back away from him. Arslan stomped his foot and an Earth Spike pierced the screaming Elve's chest, which ended his life.

"You Elves always talk about how superior you are to Humans," Arslan snorted. "In the end, the color of your blood is the same as mine."

Arslan then made a taunting gesture using the short sword in his right hand. "Whoever wants to die next, please, step forward."

The True Prodigy of the Zelan Dynasty raised his head in arrogance. Power gathered in his hand and feet as he prepared to fight the Elves with everything he had. Although he was outnumbered, the Elves had made a mistake in attacking their camp.

The reason why many people in the Zelan Dynasty hailed Arslan as its top Prodigy was not because of his strength, but his uncanny ability to predict his enemy's movements and place Earth Bombs in their path.

His Earth Bombs didn't radiate magic, making them difficult to detect even if someone used a powerful magic detecting artifact.

This made Arslan's Earth Bombs very lethal to his enemies.

This was why no one in the Zelan Dynasty wanted to fight against Arslan and his team during Group Warfare, because of his uncanny ability to place undetectable traps that were strong enough to kill anyone below the Platinum Rank.

Several other explosions reverberated in the forest as Arslan and the Elves fought. It only stopped half an hour later when more than two hundred teenage boys and girls had safely left the borders of the Zelan Dynasty.

Chapter 405: Whether He Lives Or Dies Depends On Her Highness' Wishes

Paul and the rest of the freedom fighters traveled for two days before they reached the Fortress that stood between the Hellan Kingdom and the Zelan Dynasty.

They didn't take the time to look at the tens of thousands of Crystal Statues because they had already seen plenty of them in their own Kingdom. Paul assigned his group to loot the Fortress for food, water, and other things that they could use on their trip to reunite with Prince Alaric, who was assumed to be in the town of Lont.

Luckily, there were still many horses in the stables, which they used to travel towards the West. All of them rode their mounts with a heavy heart knowing that Arslan had either been killed or captured by their Elven pursuers.

A few days ago, when a single Elf scout found their base, hundreds of Elves gathered to capture them. If not for the fact that Paul's special ability, Eye of the Scout, had accidentally seen the hundreds of Elves, who were stealthily headed into their direction, they would have all been captured by now.

This was why Arslan decided to make an unwritten rule that at the first sight of even a single Elf, all of them would make a hasty retreat. They didn't know that the Elves had decided to treat their capture as a game and decided to spread out and search for them as platoons.

If they only knew of this sudden change in their pursuers' strategy, they might have stayed behind to help Arslan deal with the Elves that had discovered their last camp.

—–

"Human scum!" the pretty Elf-Girl shouted as she kicked the chained Arslan on the ground.

Although they managed to subdue him, Aslan still managed to kill eight Elves because of his lethal Earth Bombs that exploded without warning.

They had journeyed using special means to return to the capital as fast as possible, but she was still feeling irritated because of the loss of her subordinates. This would reflect poorly on her record as a commanding officer and she might even get a demotion.

Arslan was chained using a special metal that prevented him from using his abilities.

The Prodigy of the Zelan Kingdom had wounds all over his body, but they were not serious enough to be fatal. The Elves didn't even bother to treat his wounds to prevent him from recovering and finding a way to escape the chains that bound him.

Two more hours passed and they finally arrived at the palace where Elandorr was expecting their arrival. The Commander of the Elven forces sat on the throne where the King of the Zelan Dynasty used to sit.

Elandorr looked at the injured Human teenager with interest, while the other Elves looked at Arslan with hatred.

"All alone, but still managed to kill eight Elven hunters, not bad," Elandorr said with praise. "Too bad you were born a Human. If you were an Elf, you would definitely be among the top elites that serve under me."

Arslan didn't say anything as he was forced to kneel on the ground. He didn't react to the jeers and taunts of the Elves who were also present in the throne room.

Elandorr nodded his head in appreciation and made a gesture to one of his attendants.

The attendant respectfully bowed to Elandorr and presented him with a wooden box. Elandor gave the attendant a brief nod before walking towards Arslan with box in hand. The Elven Guards who had been forcing Arlsan to kneel held his arms firmly as Elandorr took out the contents of the box and showed it to the Prodigy of the Zelan Kingdom.

"Are you familiar with this?" Elandorr asked in a teasing tone. He waved the black collar that was inscribed with Elven runes.

The moment Arslan saw the slave collar in Elandorr's hand, he knew what was coming next.

Because of it, he gathered all of his strength and tried to smash his head on the floor to commit suicide.

Unfortunately, Elandorr had already seen this coming and gave the Human a quick kick on his jaw which made Arslan world spin around him. Two more guards came to secure him in place as Elandorr placed the slave collar on the teenager's neck.

"Stop," Elandorr ordered. "From now on, you are not allowed to commit suicide. You are not allowed to escape, and you are also not allowed to hurt any Elves in any manner. Do I make myself clear?"

Arslan bit his lip as he tried to prevent himself from answering Elandorr's inquiry. However, the runes on the collar on his neck glowed brightly sending immense pain through his body.

Even so, Arslan refused to yield, which made Elandorr, as well as the other Elves, admire his strength of will.

"Not bad," Elandorr nodded in appreciation. "I've always wanted to meet the so-called True Prodigy of this Kingdom. I thought that all of the praise they had for you was mere exaggeration. I guess, there is some truth in their words as well."

Blood dripped down Arslan's lips as he kept his mouth shut. He was enduring the excruciating pain that made him feel like dying, but he would rather die than submit to the Elves who had treated the Zelanians like grass that they could weed out whenever they felt bored.

Even though the Elven Princess had said that such an act was not worthy of a Superior Race like the Elves, many of the Elven Elites still tortured and beat up the survivors of the Kingdom behind closed doors.

This was their way of making the Humans understand that they were simply rags that the Elves could keep or dispose of at their leisure. This excessive amont of torture and beatings had made the survivors lose all hope. In the end, the majority of the survivors had chosen to act servile to the Elves instead of choosing to be beaten to death.

What happened to those who refused to acknowledge the Elven Rule? Those who had refused had either been killed in public executions, or sent to prison to receive humilation and torture.

Naturally, these public executions were held when the Elven Princess was away from the capital to inspect the other Human cities that had fallen under their rule. These public executions were witnessed by all the survivors in the capital because those who refused to participate would suffer the same fate.

After seeing several executions, the desire to rebel against their invaders had long disappeared in the teenagers who had chosen to become slaves of their own free will. The Elves didn't have an infinite supply of slave collars. Elandorr chose to only use them on special people, like Arslan who had fallen into his hands.

He didn't need to waste his limited number of slave collars on the children and teenagers who had chosen to submit to their rule out of hopelessness and desperation.

This was the tactic that the Elves had used in order to make the Human children submit to them.

Elandorr glanced down at Arslan who was still refusing to submit to him even with the power of the slave collar. He was about to give the Human Prodigy an order when the door of the throne room opened.

The Elven Princess, Eowyn, entered and looked at the injured, and kneeling, Prodigy on the floor. Eowyn knew that she was only a supervisor and had no right to get in Elandorr's way. This was why she just looked at Arslan with a sad expression and didn't say anything else.

"Welcome back, Your Highness," Elandorr greeted Eowyn with a smile. "You should have told me that you were returning. I would have escorted you back to the palace personally."

"Thank you, Commander Elandorr." Eowyn nodded. "I apologize for coming at the wrong time."

Elandorr smiled brightly as he walked towards Eowyn. "Princess, you can come and see me anytime. I was just enslaving this Human because he committed a crime punishable by death. However, since you didn't want senseless killings, I decided to just enslave him."

Eowyn stared at Arslan whose body was trembling every now and then due to the pain he was experiencing.

"What did he do?" Eowyn inquired.

Elandorr gave the Human a side-long glance before shifting his attention back to the beautiful princess. "He was the leader of the rebellion and has killed many Elves. Just today, he killed eight elves before he was captured on the outskirts of the kingdom. He is truly a very troublesome individual."

Eowyn frowned. Although she was a pacifist, hearing that Elves died at the hands of the young man made her impression of Arslan change.

No matter how good her heart was, she was still an Elf and they were her people.

"What do you plan to do with him, Commander?" Eowyn asked.

"Whether he lives or dies will depend on Her Highness' wishes," Elandorr said with a carefree smile.

At first Eowyn wanted to order Elandorr to execute Arslan. However, her teacher, Lady Arwen, had told her that violence was not always the answer to resolve disputes. After a brief inner struggle, Eowyn sighed and gave her verdict.

Elandorr seemed half amused by the Princess' choice, but since he had plans on wooing her, he decided to agree. This way, the Princess would feel indebted to him, which he could use to form a closer connection with her in the future.

"Congratulations," Elandorr said as he used his foot to raise Arslan's head. "Our Princess has chosen you to become her manservant. Make sure to serve her well. I mentioned this earlier, but I will repeat it again. You are not allowed to harm her in any way. Also, you will risk your life to protect her when she is in danger. This is an absolute order."

The collar on Arslan's neck glowed brighter. Soon, Arslan fell to the ground, unconscious. He had reached his limits in resisting the power of the slave collar. Elandorr made a gesture for one of the Elven healers to take care of the teenager's injury before he invited the Princess to have lunch with him.

Eowyn accepted Elandorr's proposal. She knew that the Commander had spared the Human slave because of her, and because of this, she felt obligated to return the favor. Elandorr smiled brightly as he held the Elven Princess' hand.

If giving her a human slave would make her happy then he didn't mind sending more slaves in order to gain her good graces. After all, he was not content with just being the Commander of the Elven Race.

No. Elandorr's ambition was greater.

What he wanted was to become the future King of the Elves. That way, not only would he rule the Silvermoon Continent, but all the lands that they had conquered as well.

Chapter 406: New Dungeon Acquired!

Inside of the Goblin Crypt in the Town of Hartlepool…

William stood still with his eyes closed. The words that his father had told him still reverberated in the core of his being.

"I come as one, but I stand in the tens of thousands!"

The red-headed boy pressed his hand over his wildly beating heart as an image appeared inside his head.

A man stood proud on the back of a Chimaera Type Dragon with black horns and wings spread wide. He had his arms crossed over his chest as he looked fearlessly at the massive army that belonged to the Demon Race in front of him.

Suddenly, several portals appeared behind him. Resounding roars and shrieks pierced the air as Dragons, Ancient Beasts, and other Behemoths descended on the battlefield with fury. More portals appeared around Maxwell as a fearless grin appeared on his handsome face.

Thousands…

Tens of thousands…

Hundreds of thousands….

Millions…

The sky darkened as Maxwell's Army of Dungeon Monsters poured out from the massive portals en masse. It was as if he was summoning all the monsters in the world to fight for him.

The Demon Army momentarily stopped their advance as the countless Dungeon Monsters roared simultaneously.

It was at that moment when William understood why there could only be one Dungeon Conqueror to exist at a time. No army, kingdom, or empire, would be able to withstand an attack of this magnitude–dozens of Myriad Beasts, hundreds of Millennial Beasts, thousands of Centennial Beasts and other strong monsters that were Class B and above.

The scene made William's blood boil due to how awesome it was. Frankly, the word awesome was an understatement. Words couldn't describe the feelings that were rising inside his heart.

Maxwell turned his head to look at William. There was a playful smile on his father's face as he gave him a brief nod.

Soon, an earth-shaking roar resounded across the battlefield as the massive Monster Army charged towards the Demon Army.

William watched as the Dragons rampaged in the sky.

He watched as the Eight-Headed Hydras fired Dragon Breaths of different elements from all of their heads.

He watched as Giants brandished their weapons left and right, sending Demons flying in all directions.

He watched until the Demons sounded their bugle horns to signal their retreat.

The Monsters didn't waver and pursued relentlessly as their enemies retreated like the tide.

William breathed a long deep sigh before opening his eyes.

His father had shown him the possibility that was waiting for him at the end of his journey. The Half-Elf clenched his fist as he made a vow to himself.

'One day, I will come and see you father,' William said in his heart. 'Till then, watch over Mother for me.'

It was at that moment when he realized that a delicate hand held his arm and a pair of anxious eyes looked straight at his own eyes.

"What happened?" Wendy inquired. "The dungeon core disappeared after you pressed the ring against it. After that, you stood in a daze and no matter how much we tried to wake you up, you wouldn't budge."

William patted Wendy's head to assure her that he was fine. "Let's go back. Our mission has been accomplished."

Wendy nodded her head and held William's hand. Ian gave the two of them some space as he followed behind them. This was her way of compensating Wendy for the time that she had spent with William inside his Spiritual World.

William and Ian didn't need to say anything to each other. Both of their hearts were connected, so the red-headed boy understood what Ian was trying to tell him.

'Thank you,' William said through telepathy.

Ian smiled as he

walked behind William. 'You're not getting any sleep tonight.'

'Is that a threat?'

'Does it sound like a threat?'

The two bickered via telepathy as they exited the Goblin Crypt. Now that the Dungeon Core had merged with the Goblin Crypt inside the Ring of Conquest, the Dungeon in Hartlepool would slowly disappear over the passage of time.

Although William felt sorry that the townspeople would lose a source of income, he didn't have the leisure to wait for the curse to be undone before he increased his private army.

William, Wendy, and Ian returned to the Armstrong Duchy to report to Spencer that they were going back to the Northern Regions.

Spencer made one last futile attempt to convince his sister to stay, but Wendy was adamant to stick to her boyfriend like glue. Naturally, William welcomed Wendy's company, which gave Spencer a headache.

In the end, Spencer finally agreed and even gave them one of the flying carriages that belonged to their Duchy. Instead of a Gryphon, the one that pulled their flying carriage was the Lamassu.

As the Magical Beast soared towards the North, Wendy and Ian laid beside William on the comfortable bed inside the flying carriage. William hugged both of them as he discussed with the System what their next course of action should be.

According to the Dungeon Conqueror Job Class, William wouldn't be able to Conquer a dungeon as easily as he had the Goblin Crypt. However, that restriction didn't prevent him from adding another Dungeon to his Ring of Conquest.

Takam's second condition was for William to raise four Centennial Ranked Beasts. William understood the importance of this because right now, he lacked powerful allies that had the Centennial Rank and above.

Takam also added that although William should also increase the ranks of the Minotaur Race to strengthen his forces, the Four Centennial Rank Beasts should not be counted on their side.

Erchitu was already a Millennial Beast, and the Lamassus were all Class A Beasts. Takam's condition stated that he didn't care where William acquired these four Centennial Beasts, but any beast from the Minotaur Race wouldn't be counted among the four.

Although William found this second condition to be unusual, he didn't mind doing it because he wanted to form a strong force to contend with the enemies he was about to face.

William checked his status page and found an empty slot right next to his Goblin Crypt. The very first dungeon that he had visited had now turned green, which meant that it was an ally Dungeon.

After merging the recorded Goblin Crypt with the real Goblin Crypt, William had unlocked the true power of the Ring of Conquest as well as the Hidden Ability Dungeon Conqueror.

What was that power? It was the ability to randomly teleport to any Dungeon in the world of Hestia that would serve as a Dungeon that he could conquer next.

This was a heaven-defying ability because it allowed William to practically travel anywhere and capture any dungeon he wanted.

'This Job Class is insane,' William thought. He was quite thankful that his father had prepared adequately to transfer this power to him. If this power landed in the hands of those who would use it for World Conquest then the chances of them succeeding were very high.

'Fortunately there can only be one Dungeon Conqueror at any given time.' William sighed in relief as he looked at the ring in his hand, that had accompanied him since he was a baby.

It was the ring that had taken William inside the Goblin Crypt, and forced him to acquire the Shepherd Job Class. If not for the Ring of Conquest activating at that time, William might have spent his childhood living a carefree life free without facing anything dangerous.

The Half-Elf took a deep breath as he made his decision.

He planned to have the new Dungeon serve as the place for his Thousand Beast Army to increase their ranks, in preparation for the battle against Deus, the Elves, and the Undead Army that threatened the peace of his own Thousand Beast Domain.

'So, I just need to activate the Dungeon Search ability, and synchronize it with the Ring of Conquest to make a connection to that dungeon. This way, I can allow my Thousand Beast Domain to access it as well. Am I right, System?' William asked.

< Yes. However, once a Dungeon is chosen, we can't remove it from the Ring of Conquest no matter what. Are you fine with this, Host? >

'Okay. let's do this!' William closed his eyes and used the Dungeon Search ability.

At the same time, the System synchronized with him and activated the Ring of Conquest.

< Activating Ring of Conquest! >

—

—–

The Ring on William's hand glowed as a golden thread shot out from its center. It flew towards the window of the flying carriage and traveled North East.

Half a minute later, it crossed the border of the Southern Continent and headed out to the wide ocean. The System monitored the golden thread's trajectory as it searched for a random Dungeon that would be connected to the Ring of Conquest.

According to the System, William would be able to travel to that Dungeon no matter where it was located. Simply put, he could travel across continents and back if the Dungeon that the Ring of Conquest picked was on another continent.

Five minutes later, the empty slot beside the Goblin Crypt glowed as the new Dungeon was registered.

William looked at the form of the Dungeon that slowly materialized on his Status Page. It didn't take long before a Majestic City appeared in front of him.

He read the bold blue letters that appeared above the picture of the new Dungeon and frowned. It was a name that he was familiar with and it was considered to be a legendary city back on Earth.

The notification of the System resounded inside his head as it proclaimed the name of the new Dungeon that they had acquired.

< New Dungeon Acquired! >

< Dungeon name: Atlantis >

Chapter 407: Subclass Integration

"Atlantis…," William muttered as he looked at the information of the new Dungeon that had been registered inside his ring of conquest.

—–

< Atlantis >

— In times long forgotten, there was once a legendary city known for its advanced culture and technology.

— Many tales abound about how this city disappeared from the face of the world. Some said that, due to its advanced technology, the city traveled towards new worlds and frontiers unknown to many.

— Some said that it was submerged somewhere in the vast ocean… waiting for someone to discover it once again.

— Countless people throughout the years have searched for this city born from Myths and Legends, but none of them were able to find it. Only its name and legacy remained, and even that, too, would also be forgotten in due time.

— The City of Atlantis. The Lost Empire of a Forgotten World.

— Difficulty Rating: SSR

— Number of Floors: 100

— Monster Types: Unknown

—–

William felt anticipation as he finished reading the information of this ancient city. Deep down, he was looking forward to discovering the secrets that it held.

Wendy stirred in her slumber as she sleepily raised her head to look at William.

"Our journey is still long," William said as he kissed her forehead. "Sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time for dinner."

Wendy sleepily nodded her head and kissed William's cheek before she closed her eyes to sleep once more. The battle inside the Goblin Crypt had made her, and Ian, very exhausted.

It would take a few more days before they reached the North where William decided to stay for the time being.

The Half-Elf didn't want to disturb Est and Brendan while they worked to rescue the survivors on the outskirts of the Kingdom. Although he didn't know why Deus decided to withdraw quite a few of their forces from the Hellan Capital, William had a hunch that it was due to Conner's order to look for the Undying Lands, which was now inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

He wasn't worried about Est's safety because he had already briefed Brendan on what to do in case the members of Deus returned to take back their control of the capital. Also, Ezio was there to mentor Brendan as the latter underwent his Assassin Training.

Yes. William decided to make Brendan a Disciple of his Fourth Master, Ezio. This way, the Son of the Prime Minister's talents wouldn't be wasted. Also, having someone as capable as Brendan would become a big boost to William's private forces in the future.

William also decided to bring Ian and Wendy to train the Dungeon of Atlantis in order to help raise their rank and allow them to gain real battle experience.

'I almost forgot the advice that Issei had told me back in the Temple of the Gods,' William thought as he opened the Familia option in his status page.

—-

< Familia >

< First Familia Member >

— Ashera Dy Cordelia

— Host is able to use Wave Rider Skill

— Host is able to use Water Whip Skill

— Host has acquired Familia Oversoul Skill

— Increase +15 enhancement bonus to all stats

Strength of Stats and Abilities will increase, or decrease, depending on the Synchronization Rate between the host and his Familia Member.

class="ads ads-holder ads-middle text-center">

— Synchronization Rate: 45%

—

William didn't stop there and accessed Ashe's personal information.

—–

Name: Ashera Dy Cordelia

Race: Half-Nymph

Age: 16

Job Class: Spirit Fencer (Level 32)

—–

After checking the information that he was looking for, William consulted the System to help him conduct an experiment.

—–

< Host, you want to try adding a Subclass to Ashe's main profession? >

'Yes,' William replied. 'Can you test if it's possible?'

< Understood. >

< Connecting to the Familia Database… >

< Activating the Divinity of the King's Chess Piece and CPU Core…. >

< Connection established! >

< Subclass Integration Commencing… >

—–

William waited patiently for the System to finish tweaking the Familia Settings using the power of the two divinities. He wanted to know if it was possible to bestow a Job Class that he currently possessed to Ashe to allow her to wield its power.

According to Issei's theory, if this experiment succeeded, the Mermaid would be able to help William increase the levels of his other professions, while that class was equipped to her.

Not only would William be able to increase its levels, but Ashe would also benefit from it because she would be able to wield the power of whatever profession William wanted to bestow upon her.

It didn't take long before William heard the familiar notification sounds of the System, announcing the result of their experiment.

—–

< Ding! >

< Subclass Integration has been successfully added to the Familia Settings! >

< Host may now add any Job Class to his Familia Member and allow them to use its power. >

< Would you like to add a subclass to Ashera Dy Cordelia ( Yes / No ) >

—–

William laughed internally as he planted a kiss on the sleeping mermaid's head. Ashe didn't react because she was a very deep sleeper. She was not aware that her lover was doing something behind her back that would benefit her in the future.

William looked at the Job Classes that were currently available to him with a serious expression. He wanted to give Ashe a compatible Job Class that would work well with her Spirit Fencer Job Class.

This way, not only would it strengthen his mermaid lover, he would also be able to increase the level of a Job Class that he was not currently using.

After careful consideration, William decided to give Ashe the Job Class Geomancer. However, he still hadn't met the requirements for this profession.

The Geomancer profession required the Fighter Job Class and Earth Mage Job Class at their max level.

Currently, William's Fighter Job Class was only at Level 30. He wasn't able to upgrade this Job Class to its maximum potential because he didn't have much time to train it before leaving Lont.

'System, set Fighter as Ashe's Subclass and split the Experience Point allocation to fifty-fifty.'

< Understood! >

< Subclass integration successful! >

—–

Name: Ashera Dy Cordelia

Race: Half-Nymph

Age: 16

Job Class: Spirit Fencer (Level 32)

Sub Class: Fighter (Level 30)

—-

William nodded his head in appreciation. This way, Ashe would be able to increase the level of her Main Class, alongside her new Subclass.

Due to their experiment, Ashe had also gained the ability to gain Experience Points as a means to increase her rank faster.

Usually, people in the World of Hestia became stronger through real life battles, and the use of Beast Cores, Magic Crystals, and Spirit Stones, to increase their ranks.

William felt sad because the only one that could benefit from the Familia Setting was Ashe. Because of the Bond that they shared with each other, the mermaid was recognized by the King Chesspiece as William's Familia Member.

William's only regret was that he had to wait until he came of age before he could add Wendy, and Est to his Familia as well.

The requirements for the Familia Member were strict, so William was helpless against it. For now, he could only focus on increasing Ashe's Job Levels, while giving resources to Wendy in order for her to increase her own profession, which was Magic Lancer.

As the Lamassu pulling William's carriage headed towards the Northern Regions, Princess Sidonie and Morgana were also hard at work in the Kingdom of Freesia.

Now that she had arrived at the capital, the Kraetor Empire started to march West. Their target was to conquer the Anaesha Dynasty which was currently under the control of the part of Deus that belonged to Conner's Faction.

The Myriad Ant Queen opened her eyes as her ant soldiers prepared to battle. Although she was once the protector of the Anaesha Dynasty, she didn't bat an eye and rallied her army to answer her call.

Her Master, Princess Sidonie, had ordered her to send her troops in a pincer attack in order to take control of the capital.

This was the first battle where the Kraetor Empire and Princess Sidonie's Ant Army had collaborated to gain control of one of the four Kingdoms that had once held total dominion over the Southern Continent.

Chapter 408: A Midsummer Night's Dream [Part 1]

"Big Brother!" Brianna jumped into William's arms as soon as he stepped out of the flying carriage.

William held the little loli in his arms and patted her head. "You shouldn't always do this. Your image of being the temporary Great Chief of the Northern Tribes will diminish if others were to see your current expression."

Brianna took a few steps back as she stuck out her tongue. William could only shake his head in helplessness as he helped Wendy and Ian disembark from the flying carriage. It took them three days to reach the Third Peak of the Kyrintor Mountains from the Armstrong Duchy.

"How long are you going to stay here, Big Brother?" Brianna asked after William and his entourage settled inside the living room of the Great Chieftain's residence.

"We will stay for a while," William replied. "There are some things that I must take care of before meeting with your Sovereign."

Brianna nodded in understanding. She knew better than to pry into the affairs of her Big Brother, especially when it had something to do with their Sovereign, that protected the entirety of the Kyrintor Mountains.

"You can stay here for as long as you like, Big Brother," Brianna patted her chest with confidence. "I am the one that calls the shots here right now."

William smirked as he playfully rubbed Brianna's hair with his hand. "You sure talk big now, huh? Fine, I'll accept your hospitality and stay here for a while. By the way, how are the Tribes?"

"All of them have already relocated here. At first, they were reluctant to leave their ancestral lands. However, they changed their minds when I told them that it was the order of our Sovereign."

"… You sure know what words to say to your people."

Brianna giggled as she closed her eyes to accept William's act of spoiling her rotten. Prince Ernest sighed beside Brianna because he had already come to terms with his Fiance's and William's close relationship.

Ian and Wendy also didn't mind this show of affection because they understood that William only saw Brianna as a little sister and not as a lover.

"Oh, I almost forgot," William said with a smile. "Can you give us a room with a large bed? I'm planning to share the room with Ian and Wendy."

Brianna tilted her head as she looked at Ian and Wendy. She could understand why William would like to share the same room with Wendy, but she didn't understand why Ian would also join them as well.

'Am I just overthinking things?' Brianna thought as she nodded her head to acknowledge William's request. "We have a room just like that, Big Brother. It has a bed big enough to fit six people. Afterall, the Warriors of the Northern Tribes usually have two or more wives."

Brianna suddenly remembered the event that happened not long ago.

If William hadn't appeared in the Kyrintor Mountains back then, Brianna's uncle, Connal, would have married Princess Aila and a few other ladies from the different tribes after the Bride Selection Ceremony.

Also, Brianna would have also been forced to marry the second Prince of the Anaesha Dynasty, who had been turned to ashes by William during their duel.

"I'll have your quarters prepared right away, Big Brother." Brianna stood up. "For now, I'll let you talk to Ernest. I'm sure that the two of you have many things to talk about."

Brianna didn't wait for William's reply and left the living room. She also ordered her maid servants to follow her as they prepared William's, Ian's, Wendy's, and Dave's lodgings.

"You'd better take care of her properly, Prince Ernest," William said as he faced the Youngest Prince of

the Hellan Kingdom. "I'll make you sorry if you make her cry."

Prince Ernest gave William a curt nod before asking about the affairs of the Hellan Kingdom. William didn't hold back any information because the Youngest Prince had the right to know.

Prince Ernest showed a rare expression of anger when he heard that his Big Brothers had been in cahoot with The Organization that was responsible for the war and the Continental Spell, that turned the adults into crystal statues.

The Youngest Prince didn't doubt William's story because he knew that the Half-Elf wouldn't waste his time to fake a report just to frame his brothers.

"Where are they now?" Prince Ernest asked after a brief period of silence.

"They're no longer in the capital," William answered. "According to credible sources, The Organization took them back to their Headquarters. Right now, Est and the Son of the Prime Minister are handling the affairs of the Capital City of Gladiolus."

Prince Ernest nodded his head. He was quite familiar with the two people that William had mentioned.

"Brendan is very capable," Prince Ernest stated. "He was raised by his father to take his place the moment he retired from service. As for Head Prefect Est…"

Prince Ernest's expression softened when he thought of the one that led the First Years of the Magic Division.

"He is a good choice to lead the people in the absence of the Royal Family," Prince Ernest commented.

The Young Prince then looked at William with a serious expression before asking a question.

"Can I go back to the capital? Maybe I can help ease their burden," Prince Ernest asked. "My presence will also pacify the survivors. Although I am not as popular as my older brothers, the citizens will still recognize me as their Prince."

William rubbed his chin as he pondered Ernest's suggestion. It was true that having the Young Prince return to the capital would give the Citizens some peace of mind. After careful consideration, William told Prince Ernest that he would think about it.

The only reason why he didn't say Yes right away was because of the threat of The Organization. Although they had pulled back the majority of their forces from the capital, they could still return at any time, which might put Prince Ernest in danger.

Prince Ernest also understood this, so he didn't force this issue. The reason he proposed such a thing was because he was feeling useless. Brianna was currently responsible for taking care of her Tribe, while he, on the other hand, had nothing to do but accompany her.

This sense of helplessness, and not getting any news from the capital, was making Prince Ernest feel depressed. It was as if he was sent to a foreign land to act as a hostage, never to return to his own Kingdom again.

—–

Nighttime inat Asgard…

Wendy opened her eyes and found herself in a familiar room. This was not the first time that she had a dream like this and had gotten used to it. Her face reddened in expectation as she waited for William and her adult self to do the deed.

What she didn't know was this night would be different from the ones she had experienced in the past.

William came out of the shower room with only a towel covering the lower half of his body.

Wendy almost drooled when she saw the adult William's lean and toned body that still had a few water droplets sticking to it. This was the body of the man that had made her face turn beet red, countless times in the past.

"What's wrong?" William asked. "You're surprisingly quiet today?"

Wendy turned her head to look behind her, expecting to see her adult self, but what she saw was her own reflection in the full body mirror inside the room. She then turned to the side, expecting to see the Valkyrie Captain sitting on one of the chairs inside the room, but it was empty.

A dawn of realization fell on Wendy at the same time that William's hand caressed the side of her face.

"Are you sick?" William asked in a teasing tone. "Why are you acting so meek right now?"

Wendy's body shuddered as she immediately took a few steps back. She then raised a hand in an attempt to keep the silver-haired man at bay and prevent him from coming close to her.

"W-Wait! Something is wrong here!" Wendy exclaimed. "Y-You've got the wrong Wendy!"

"What are you talking about?" William frowned. "What do you mean, I've 'got the wrong Wendy'."

"L-Listen! It's not what you think! I mean, I am Wendy, but I am not the Wendy that you are looking for!"

"… What nonsense are you talking about?"

"I mean, I am not the Valkyrie Captain Wendy that you married!" Wendy exclaimed. "I'm not her!"

A soft chuckle escaped the Silver-Haired William's lips. Of course he knew what Wendy was talking about.

Although the hair-color he had right now was Silver, the one inside the body was none other than William who had used the power of his Incubus Job Class to enter Wendy's dream.

He was curious to find out what Wendy was dreaming about right now, so he entered her dream to take a peek. To his surprise, he found himself in the same familiar setting where he would usually make love to the Adult Wendy in his dreams.

'From her words, this means that this is not the first time that she has been here,' William mused. 'Interesting.'

William watched as the Adult Wendy, who used to beat the crap out of him, looked at him with caution.

His goal was to only take a peek at Wendy's dream, but the current scenario opened up a possibility to him.

'What if…' William thought as he gazed at the beautiful lady in front of him. 'Well, I'll find out soon enough.'

William smiled sweetly and his smile made Wendy shudder. It was the smile of a Wolf that was about to eat a snow-white rabbit that had unknowingly wandered close to its lair.

Clearly, tonight would be a different night for the two of them.

Chapter 409: A Midsummer Night's Dream [Part 2] Rated-18

(Disclaimer: This chapter contains scenes not suitable for children. You have watched enough H to know what's going to happen next. If you're not comfortable in reading scenes like this, feel free to skip this Chapter.)

"D-Don't come any closer! If you come closer I'll scream!" Wendy said as she backed into the corner of the room.

She was currently wearing a semi-transparent, black, one-piece night dress that covered her curvaceous body. The night dress made her want to bury herself inside a hole due to embarrassment.

When she had seen her adult self wearing this night-dress for the first time, she had secretly felt jealous because the Silver-haired William looked so happy when he saw her in that attire. She had also witnessed how the two shared a passionate night that lasted until four in the morning before they decided to stop their lovemaking.

Now that she was wearing the same night dress, and was in the body of her adult form, Wendy felt like she was about to get eaten whole. She had seen how capable the silver-haired William was in her dreams.

Although she had looked forward to being embraced the same way, her heart only wanted her beloved Half-Elf and not the handsome silver-haired William in front of her.

"Please, there is someone else that I love," Wendy pleaded. "I want him to be my first. I can't make love with you."

The Silver-haired man stopped walking and the teasing expression on his face disappeared. Wendy thought that the handsome man would not listen to her and continue to approach her if she let her guard down.

However, the man didn't move from where he stood. Instead he looked at Wendy with eyes filled with affection.

"I'm sorry for teasing you, Wendy," William said. "I didn't know that you loved me this much."

William waved his hand over his face and the adult version of himself appeared in front of Wendy.

Wendy looked at the man's red-hair and the light-green eyes that looked back at her with love. The blonde beauty's eyes then stared at the semi-pointy ears that proved her lover's race, which was indeed Half-Elf.

"W-Will?" Wendy asked half hoping that what she was seeing was true.

"It's me," William replied.

Wendy was about to go to him to give him a hug, but hesitated in the end. She didn't want to make a mistake, so she decided to ask questions first to confirm whether this was the Half-Elf she loved or was just a figment of her imagination.

"How old are you?" Wendy inquired.

"I just turned fifteen a few days ago," William answered.

"You did?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Wendy frowned. "Does Ashe know?"

William nodded. "She celebrated my birthday with me. She even got drunk and started to kis-"

The Half-Elf abruptly stopped his words, which made Wendy quite curious.

"Go on. Continue."

"Let's talk about something else."

William walked towards Wendy and pulled her into his embrace. Although he didn't mind talking about how proactive Ashe was in her drunken state, he didn't want to talk about other women in front of Wendy.

Owen, and the Goddess Eros, told him that talking about another woman in front of another lady would definitely lead to a bad ending. In order to prevent that from happening, William decided to take the lead and stir the conversation away from the topic.

Wendy tried to resist at first, but William's whispers of love in her ears made her resistance not last long. In the end the two sat on top of the bed, while hugging each other.

"Do you always have this kind of dream?" William asked.

Wendy nodded her head as her face reddened in embarrassment.

"How often do you have this dream?" William inquired. He

wanted to know if the frequency of Wendy's dreams of Asgard matched his own.

"At least twice a week," Wendy admitted. "However, after returning to our Duchy, the frequency of my dreams increased to four or five times a week."

Wend raised her head to look at William. "How about you?"

"Two to three times a week as well," William replied. "They started on the night I gave you my Lollipop."

"… The night where they did thirty rounds?" Wendy asked.

"Yes. I did it with her thirty roun… what? How did you know that we did thirty rounds?"

"… You did it with her thirty times?"

William suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

"A-At that time I thought that it was only a dream," William replied. "S-She pleaded that I make love to her while being tied to the bed."

Wendy snorted. Of course she remembered that scene. How could she possibly forget? It was a very memorable night for her. It taught her a lot of things about how lovers showed their affection to each other.

The blonde beauty then held Wiliam's shoulder and pinned him down on the bed. "Even if that was only a dream, and the Adult me begged you to do it, you still made love to a different version of me. That is considered cheating. Do you plead guilty to your crime?"

"Y-Yes. I plead guilty." William didn't know why, but Wendy's current strength was similar to the strength of the Valkyrie Captain in his dreams.

It was as if a mountain was pressing on his shoulders and he couldn't budge from her hold.

Wendy knew that William wasn't at fault, but she wasn't able to stop herself from feeling a bit irritated because the adult version of her managed to make love to the boy she liked first. Also, the one thing that made her unable to forget that particular dream was the fact that William had done it thirty times!

She was about to nag at the boy when she felt something warm and hard poking her backside. Wendy turned around to see that the towel that had been covering William's lower body had been cast aside when she suddenly pinned him down.

Wendy looked at Little William who was standing tall and proud. It was as if it was challenging her to go thirty rounds with him.

The blonde beauty's face immediately blushed when she remembered that night of intense passion that had been locked away inside her heart.

"I'm sorry," William said as he placed his hand on the back of Wendy's neck and gently pulled her close to him. "I was wrong. I didn't think properly back then."

His lips pressed over Wendy's and the latter reluctantly returned his kiss. William coaxed his lover with soft kisses and words of love that made Wendy temporarily forget the crime he had committed.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on the bed with the Half Elf on top of her.

William's hands and lips wandered all over her body and it sent a shiver down her spine. The grudge and reasoning that she tried to hold on to melted away due to William's soft and relentless attacks that made her writhe in pleasure.

This was not the first time that William had made love to the body of the Adult Wendy in his dreams. However, this time, it was different. Although the body was not hers, the person inside it was the first girl who had confessed her love to him in this world.

The person that William had recognized as his First Wife.

William kissed, licked, sucked, and bit Wendy all over. He left his mark on his lover's body to affirm that she belonged only to him.

Wendy had long lost her strength as William used the skills he had learned from Owen and Lady Eros to bring the lady he loved to the peak of pleasure.

The blonde beauty's body trembled the moment the two of them became one. William was currently in his Incubus Class. The techniques he learned from the Goddess of Lust herself made Wendy's sweet and sensual voice reverberate inside the room.

"Will.. I'm scared," Wendy said as she wrapped her arms around William's neck. "I-I feel weird."

William momentarily paused as he kissed Wendy's lips. "Don't be scared. I love you, Wendy."

Wendy looked at her beloved's eyes and smiled, "I love you too, Will. Please, make me yours."

With his lover's permission, William once again lowered his hips, building up the pleasure with each thrust.

Suddenly, Wendy's body shivered at the same time that William released his essence deep inside her. The blonde beauty could feel her beloved's seed filling up her womb and it almost made her lose consciousness due to its intensity.

A minute passed as William and Wendy panted for breath. Both of them didn't expect that their first union, inside a dream world, would be so intense that they thought that their spirits were leaving their bodies.

After regaining his composure, William looked down at his lover with a fiery gaze. Wendy saw the hungry look in her lover's eyes and her body trembled in fear and anticipation of what was about to come.

"You're not getting any sleep tonight," William declared.

Wendy sighed as she surrendered herself to the man she loved.

Both of them knew that this was only a dream, but they didn't care.

They didn't care that it would take them a few years before they gained the adult bodies that they had right now. What was important was that, tonight, they reaffirmed the love they had for each other, while they waited to come of age.

When that day came, William vowed that he would no longer hold back and make love not only with Wendy, but to all the women who loved him as well.

But, for now, all of his attention was focused on the girl that had made him open his heart. A girl whom he would treasure for the rest of his life. Now and Forever.

Chapter 410: The Aftermath Of A Night Of Passion

Ashe looked at Wendy who was sitting inside the big bathtub. The blonde beauty had a very satisfied smile on her face and was currently humming a tune as she soaked herself in hot water.

"You seem happy today," Ashe said with a smile. "Did something good happen?"

Wendy giggled before nodding her head. She even gave Ashe a mischievous gaze which piqued the latter's curiosity. The mermaid also noticed that Wendy was like a changed person after she had woken up.

Ashe could sense that the current Wendy was brimming with confidence and energy, which was quite different from how she had been just a few days ago.

'I wonder what happened?'

Ashe was genuinely curious about this sudden change in her friend's character. She also linked Wendy's current bubbly self to the Half-Elf who was currently inside the Thousand Beast Domain to take care of some important matters.

"What happened?" Ashe inquired. "Spill it."

"Not telling!" Wendy playfully stuck out her tongue as she dreamily closed her eyes. The events that had transpired inside the dream were still in her memory. Originally, she thought that she would forget about this passionate dream the moment she woke up.

She had told this worry of hers to William as they held each other after their passionate lovemaking.

William smiled and promised her that he would ensure that she would remember the dream even when she was awake. Although she didn't know what William did, the events of what happened last night were very fresh in her memory.

In fact, she felt that she could recall this memory anytime, and the images would flow inside her head as clearly as the night they whispered words of love to each other.

Ashe knew that she wouldn't be getting any answers from Wendy, so she decided to just interrogate William later. She had a nagging feeling that whatever was causing Wendy's radiant expression was something major.

'I will get into the bottom of this later,' Ashe vowed as she joined Wendy inside the bathtub. 'Whatever is making Wendy act this way, I want some of it as well.'

—–

Inside the Thousand Beast Domain…

A sudden chill passed down William's spine as he checked the conditions of Dia, Thor,and Ragnar.

"Mama, did you suddenly feel a cold breeze pass through here?" William asked.

"Cold breeze?" Ella tilted her head. "I don't feel anything."

"Must be my imagination."

"Make sure to take a hot shower later just in case. We are high up in the mountains, so it's natural to feel cold from time to time."

William nodded his head. Although his body was already strong, and he had Lily's lollipops to protect him from the common cold, he still thought that he should take precautions just in case there was something wrong with his body.

He had visited the Thousand Beast Domain because there had been changes in Thor's and Ragnar's bodies.

The stripes on Thor's body had become more pronounced as if they were real lightning bolts. Ragnar, on the other hand, had grown a little bit. He was now about the same size as Thor. Only Dia remained the same and there were no visible changes in her body.

"Do you think they will wake up soon?" William inquired.

Ella nodded her head. "Yes. I can tell that Thor and Ragnar are about to finish their growth phase."

"I'm worried about Dia. She's still in a deep sleep and I see no changes in her body."

"Don't be. Dia is fine. Her body is taking sufficient magical energy from the Magic Crystals. Perhaps, her next phase requires more energy, so no visible changes can be seen at the moment."

William

scratched his head because he was not an expert in Magical Beasts. If Ella was telling him that Dia was fine then it must be true.

"Have you connected the new dungeon with the Thousand Beast Domain?" Ella inquired. "Chronos, Aslan, and the others are getting excited about their new playground."

William shook his head. "I'm still in the middle of relocating the Bestiary from the Goblin Crypt to the first floor of the Atlantis Dungeon. It is a very delicate process. According to my estimate, it will take at least six more hours before everyone can travel there."

Ella nodded her head in understanding. She didn't ask how William was able to do the things he was able to do because there was no need for her to ask him. David had already passed all the information he knew about William's Divinities to her, so she left him to his own devices.

"Mama, are you also excited to explore this new dungeon?" William asked.

"Yes," Ella replied. "I think the other goats are also nearing their limit. Perhaps they will be able to evolve in a month or two."

William smiled, "I hope for that as well."

Ever since the Wolf Tide, he hadn't raised any other goats again aside from the thirteen survivors of his herd. He made sure that they gained enough experience points so that they would become stronger and evolve just like Ella did.

The only dungeon that they had officially explored was the Goblin Crypt. William was looking forward to leveling up his Job Classes in order to prepare for the inevitable war that would come knocking on their doors sooner or later.

William bid Ella goodbye and left the Magic Crystal Cavern. There were many things that he had to take care of and one of them was the good news that he received from The System after waking up.

After his passionate night with Wendy, the System had come across a very interesting development that made William extremely happy.

—–

< Familia Oversoul>

— Allows the Host to harness the power of his bond with his Familia Members.

— Depending on the strength of the bond, the host will be able to use his Familia Member's ability and vice versa.

Familia:

( Ashera Dy Cordelia )

( Wendy Cy Armstrong )

( Not Available )

—–

< Familia >

< Second Familia Member >

— Wendy Cy Armstrong

— Host is able to use Steel Spikes Skill

— Host is able to use Steel Wall Skill

— Host has acquired Familia Oversoul Skill

— Increase +10 enhancement bonus to all stats

Strength of Stats and Abilities will increase, or decrease, depending on the Synchronization Rate between the host and his Familia Member.

— Synchronization Rate: 35%

—–

For some unknown reason, Wendy was registered as William's second Familia member. Although they did the deed inside the dream, William didn't expect that the King's Chesspiece would activate and register Wendy's name as part of his Familia.

This opened up new possibilities for William because it allowed him to add a Subclass to his First Wife Candidate, which would increase her battle prowess. Not only that, Wendy would also be able to use the Experience Points inside the dungeon to increase her Rank as well as increase the levels of her Job Class.

However, there was some additional information in Wendy's stats that made William feel like scratching his head in confusion.

—–

Name: Wendy Cy Armstrong

Race: Human

Age: 16

Job Class: Magic Lancer (Level 28)

Subclass: None

Locked Prestige Class: Valkyrie

(Requirements not met)

< Valkyrie >

— Requirements to unlock Job Class

— Soul Mate Skill

— Imperial Lancer

— Celestial Bloodline

—–

William didn't know whether he should laugh or cry after seeing this hidden Prestige Class that Wendy could unlock once its requirements were met.

The Imperial Lancer was easy to understand, because it was the second stage of the Magic Lancer. However, he didn't know where he could get the Soul Mate Skill and the Celestial Bloodline that was also needed to unlock this Prestige Class, which William believed had a deep connection with Wendy.

'Asgard…?' William thought.

At the beginning, he thought that the dreams were just dreams. But, now, he felt that he needed to keep an eye out for any developments that might happen in his dreams.

Wendy's Hidden Prestige Class was a clear indicator that there was a deeper meaning behind the dreams they were encountering.

It was quite possible for Wendy to live her life without discovering this hidden power inside her body. However, since William had already discovered it, he would certainly do his best to help Wendy unlock this power inside her.

William exited the Thousand Beast Domain and returned to his room within the Great Chieftain's residence. He was just about to look for Wendy when he noticed Ian sitting on the bed.

"Are you finished with your tasks?" Ian inquired.

William nodded. "There are still things that need to be done, but I am free for now."

Ian smiled and walked towards Will. "Since that is the case, can you explain to me what happened to Wendy? She's practically glowing today as if she had been injected with some kind of powerful serum that will keep her young and springy for years."

William's body stiffened when Ian transformed into her mermaid form and pressed her hand over her chest. Although he was wearing clothes, Ashe's hand rested directly over the gem embedded in his chest.

"I don't know what special serum you gave her, but I want some of it too," Ashe demanded. "Will, you can't play favorites. Are you going to give it to me? Or must I make you give it to me by force?"

Ashe's hands then wrapped around William's waist as she gave him a firm hug. Clearly, she had no intention of letting the Half-Elf go unless her demands were met.

Chapter 34 - 401-410

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