Collection 1 Chapter 50 560-569

Chapter 560: Are You Ready For Your Last Lesson? [Part 2]

William dried his hair after stepping out of the bathroom. This had always been his routine whenever he was about to train with Celine inside his Sea of Consciousness.

He glanced at Chiffon who was sleeping peacefully on top of his bed. They had eaten dinner three hours ago, and the little girl decided to sleep early because she was still exhausted from their journey.

William, on the other hand, had an appointment with Celine, so he left the room after putting on a clean set of clothes.

He left the Villa and went straight to Celine's Residence that he had built for her long ago. This residence included a laboratory where his Master would conduct her experiments from time to time.

William thought of all of these things as if they happened just yesterday. Now, Celine was going to a far away place, and the Half-Elf didn't know when he was going to see her again. Although his Master was being casual about it, he couldn't help but feel anxious at the thought that the two of them wouldn't be able to see each other again.

He sighed as he knocked on Celine's door, announcing his arrival.

"Master, I'm here."

"Come in."

William entered the room and headed straight to the bedroom. There he saw a silver door where Celine waited for him.

The door was the entrance of the special artifact, Eternity. This was where William had trained with Celine during his childhood.

A day inside the artifact was only an hour in the real world. In order to maximize their training time, Celine would use this artifact, so the two of them could train for days, and even weeks on end, during their free time.

He had done this countless times in the past, even so, seeing Celine in her nightwear still made his heart beat a little faster than normal.

William paused to admire the beautiful elf in front of him. It was as if he was imprinting this image in his head, just in case he forgot about her after years of not seeing each other.

"What's wrong?" Celine asked as she looked at the dazed Half-Elf that was looking at her. "Come. Time waits for no one."

"Yes, Master," William replied as he laid on the bed.

He faced Celine that he had done many times in the past, and waited for the latter to press her forehead over his.

"William, this time, don't hold back," Celine said as she moved closer. "Let's have a proper death match."

"Understood, Master."

"Synchronize."

—–

Sounds of explosion reverberated inside William's Sea of Consciousness. Their battle had been going on for an hour, and none had managed to deal a decisive blow at each other.

Celine had lowered her Rank to match William's, so they were almost on even ground. The beautiful elf's battle experience was higher, but William's countless skills made up for that gap.

"Icycle Realm!"

"Darkness Domain!"

The two powers clashed and cancelled each other out. William shot several Ice Spears, Fireballs, and Wind Blades, in Celine's direction, but the latter was too fast to be hit by his attacks.

"Void arrow!" William pointed his finger and a black arrow shot out from it.

Celine sneered and fired her own Void Arrow. When the two arrows met, Celine's Void arrow destroyed William's and continued its trajectory towards the boy.

William evaded and this time, he used his dark whip to lash out at Celine.

As if waiting for that move, Celine also summoned a Dark Whip and attacked William.

When the two whips clashed against each other, William's Dark Whip dispersed and Celine's Dark Whip snaked towards him like a living being.

William raised his hand and several pillars of ice blocked the whips' advance. However, they were all destroyed by the power behind Celine's attack, forcing William to back away and escape its attack range.

"Even when two similar powers are used, that doesn't mean that they will just cancel each other out," Celine explained as she fired several dark beams in William's direction. "What you are using is simply Dark Magic, while mine is True Dark Magic. This is the difference between our powers."

Wiliam summoned Stormcaller and fired a barrage of lightning to counter Celine's magical attacks. Rumbling sounds were heard when the two attacks collided, but the Half-Elf and his Master paid it no mind.

The two fought each other in close combat as Stormcaller and Celine's Deathscythe struck each other, sending sparks flying in all directions.

"Master, how can I get True Dark Magic?" William inquired when Celine distanced himself from him.

Even though he asked a question, his magical bombardment didn't stop.

After deflecting William's attacks, Celine smiled as he channeled her Battle Aura on her weapon.

"You can wield True Dark Magic once you surrender yourself to Darkness," Celine replied as she stomped her foot on the ground to propel herself forward. "You don't need to use this power because you are capable of wielding the power of all the elements.

"If you ever meet someone who uses True Dark Magic in the future, never use Dark Magic against them."

Celine didn't give William any chance to reply as her Scythe Extended like a whip that was out to cut William in Half.

The Boy wasn't fazed as he pointed his weapon in Celine's direction.

"Quick Shot War Arts," William roared. "Grand Bazooka!"

A powerful Lightning Blast erupted from the tip of the spear, clashing against Celine's powerful attack. The collision between the two only lasted for a brief moment before William's attack overwhelmed his Master's killer move.

Celine dodged to the side by rolling on the ground. Before she could stand up and continue to fight, the tip of Stormcaller pressed against her neck.

"I won, Master," William declared.

He could have cut Celine's neck off her head, but he couldn't bear to do that. She was still his Master, and William respected her. That's why, he only settled to end their battle in a way that would not leave a bad aftertaste in his mouth.

"Well done," Celine replied after half a minute. "You have really grown leaps and bounds since the last time we fought against each other."

William removed Stormcaller's tip from his Master's neck and extended a hand to help her up.

"With this, I can go to the Demon Continent without worrying about you," Celine said as he patted William's shoulder. "I'm sure that you will do well even without me."

William was her very first Disciple, and probably her last. She was very proud of him, especially during the war in the Southern Continent. The Half-Elf had also taught her a lot of lessons in life.

Because of William, Celine had changed her mindset and decided to face the things that she had been running away from all her life. This was why she wanted to see him first, before meeting her twin sister, Celeste.

After she reunited with her sister, she would then travel to the Demonic Continent to visit her Master. Celine was quite worried about her, and missed her terribly.

William lowered his head, because he didn't want to let his Master see his sad expression.

"Stop acting like a spoiled child," Celine said as she used the tip of her finger to raise William's head. "Since you have beaten me fair and square, allow me to give you a reward."

Celine moved her head closer.

William's eyes widened when Celine's soft lips pressed over his own.

"Happy Birthday, William," Celine said with a smile. "Congratulations, today marks the day of your coming of age. You are now considered an adult, so it's time for you to become one."

Yes. When the clock struck twelve, William officially turned eighteen years old in the World of Hestia. The Half-Elf hadn't forgotten about his birthday, and even made plans to have a celebration in the Thousand Beast Domain after Ashe's and Princess Sidonie's classes ended in the afternoon.

Before William could even react to Celine's words, the beautiful elf snapped her fingers. The surroundings changed, and they returned to the bedroom where the two of them laid facing each other.

"This will be our last lesson together," Celine whispered in William's ears. She once again kissed William's lips before untying the string that bound her nightwear. "Although I feel sorry about your lovers, I will be taking your first."

William looked at the beautiful Elf that was looking down on him. He would be lying if he said that this possibility never crossed his mind when he was still young. Now that Celine was actively stripping him of his clothes, he knew that his Master was serious.

"Master, I think you're making a misunderstanding," William said as he cupped Celine's face. "It's not you, but me. I will be taking your first."

William pulled the beautiful Elf towards him and kissed her passionately. This was the start of their first night together.

Not as Master and Disciple.

But as a man, and a woman who would be taking that next step in their relationship.

Chapter 561: Eternity With You – R18

(Disclaimer: You've already watched enough H to know where this is going. This chapter will be all about ahem, so if you're not interested in it, feel free to skip!)

The sound of kissing could be heard inside the artifact, Eternity.

Celine felt a tingle run down her spine as William's hands caressed, and fondled her smooth and jade-like body.

She wanted to take the lead, because she felt that it was her duty as a Master to show William how it was done. The beautiful Elf was not aware that when it came to love making, the Half-Elf had more experience between the two of them.

"I've dreamt of this in the past," William said as he kneaded Celine's two peaks with his hands. "Master, you're very beautiful."

William lowered his head and slightly bit the pink tips that had already become firm due to his fondling. He kissed, licked, and sucked them like a baby. While his lips were busy with Celine's breasts, his right hand moved downward, past her abdomen and into the entrance of her maidenhood.

Celine's body uncontrollably shuddered under the machinations of William's hands.

The Half-Elf had already known that although his Master acted like she had a lot of experience in these kinds of activities, Celine was still a pure maiden that had not been touched by any man.

Unlike her, William had already done the deed in his dreams, but none in real life. He had never crossed that line with Wendy, Ashe, and Princess Sidonie, because the time wasn't right.

Now that he had officially turned eighteen, there was no need for him to hold back.

"W-Why are you so good?" Celine stuttered as William playfully pinched her… "Have you done this before?"

"In my dreams," William answered.

"Are you… Mmhh!… Hah… stupid?"

"It's the truth, Master. I have done this many times in my dreams."

"With me?"

"… Yes."

William's slight hesitation didn't escape Celine's gaze, but her thoughts turned to mush as the Half-Elf's hand continued their relentless attacks.

After sensing that Celine's body was ready to accept him, William kissed his Master's lips before spreading her legs wide. His gaze landed on that place where he would soon claim as his own.

"Master, are you sure that you want it to be me?"

"We've already come this far. Let's finish it till the end."

Celine relaxed her body and waited. She didn't have to wait long, because William was also at his limit. The moment he lowered his hips, Celine's final resistance was torn away and swept aside like a boat facing a storm in the open seas.

The beautiful Elf felt pain, but it was not as painful as she expected it to be. Lady Eros had instructed William to make sure that his partner would be able to accept him fully, and the teenager used everything he learned to practice.

William made

love with Celine, and the latter's pleasurable sighs permeated their surroundings. He didn't do it roughly, but he did it in a way that would torture his master. This was his payback for the years that he had suffered in her hands.

The Half-Elf gave her a sweet, and slow, but pleasurable experience. There were times where he would stop, and only continue after Celine had begged him.

Celine might be his Master when it came to Dark Magic, but when it came to lovemaking, William won hands down.

They made love many times, each time a different position. This time, it was William's turn to teach Celine what he was capable of. To his credit, the beautiful Elf had no complaints, only asking him for more.

Several hours later…

Celine slept soundly on the bed, while William wiped the sweat off her body with a hand towel. The red stains on the white sheet were proof that he was Celine's first man, and William was very tempted to take it inside his storage ring to serve as a memento of their passionate night together.

'I guess I should,' William thought as he used his Wind Magic to lift Celine's body from the bed. He then took the white sheet inside his storage ring and hurriedly placed a new one, in order to remove any evidence.

"Pervert," Celine said as she opened her eyes. She was really asleep earlier, but the moment she sensed magic being used on her, she woke up, just in time to catch William in the act of putting the bed sheets in his storage ring.

William pretended that he didn't hear her and carried the Elf towards the bathroom to clean her up.

Eternity was an artifact where one could spend several days in closed training. Naturally, it had facilities like a house complete with all the necessities for someone to live there for an extended period of time.

William used his Fire and Water Magic and filled up the bathtub with warm water before placing the lady in his arms inside it.

Naturally, he also stepped into the tub and positioned himself behind her, letting her body lean over his chest.

The two soaked in the water without saying a word. William's arms were wrapped around Celine's waist, holding her in place. William was hesitant to ask Celine a question, because he already knew what the answer would be.

Although she was with him now, Celine wouldn't change her decision to go to the Demonic Continent.

A day passed and then two…

William and Celine didn't leave Eternity and spent their days together. Celine told William about her childhood and her relationship with Celeste.

Contrary to his expectations, Celine had a good relationship with her twin sister. She added that both of them only treated each other coldly on the surface, so that the Elders of the Elven Council would think that they didn't get along.

"When I meet her, I will make sure to tell her about you," Celine said as she caressed William's head that was resting on her lap.

The two of them spent their days like this. Neither wanted to break the atmosphere between the two of them, so they resorted to talking about random things, instead of asking each other where they both stood in their relationship.

William could tell that his Master didn't want to give him false hope, so he decided to respect her wishes.

"Master, when I was young, Oliver told me to take the Seed of Life from Celeste after I traveled to the Central Continent," William stated. "He said that I should give it to you afterwards."

"Oh? He did?" Celine chuckled. It was then when a devilish smile appeared on your beautiful face. "Well, why not? I'm curious how she will react after you state your claim."

"Master, I can tell from your words that something bad will happen to me if I do that."

"You're just overthinking things."

Celine's body shuddered as she held back a giggle from escaping her lips. She was very curious about what would happen if William were to really do as he said. Naturally, she had an idea why Oliver asked this of William.

The beautiful Elf didn't know whether she should praise or nag the Parrot Monkey for doing things behind her back. Even so, one thing was certain. The Parrot Monkey had schemed against William and thrown him into the Lion's Den.

Of course, Celine wouldn't say anything because she wanted Celeste to know how shameless her Disciple was. She only hoped that during their first meeting, William wouldn't suffer too much from her twin sister's reaction to his demand.

Chapter 562: Darling~ You Can Still Do It, Right?

A few more days passed inside Eternity.

William and Celine had made love with each other countless times. Everyday that passed, the fervor of their passion grew, as if they were making love with each other for the last time.

On their last night together, Celine took the initiative to pin William down and sat on top of him. This time, she would take the lead, and William didn't resist. He allowed her to do what she pleased, for the time they would spend together was coming to an end.

That night, William poured his heart to her. He gave her everything, and she accepted them all.

After their intense love making, Celine laid on William's chest, and the latter held her in a firm embrace.

"Master, I will be waiting for you," William said softly. "When that time comes, let us sit down and talk about our relationship."

"Okay," Celine replied. Although it was only a word, it held a promise, and that was what William needed from her.

William sighed as he allowed himself to bask in Celine's softness and warmth. He then closed his eyes to look at his status page that had been recently updated.

—–

< Familia >

< Third Familia Member >

— Celine Dy Wisteria

— Host is able to use Darkness Domain

— Host is able to use Dark Ray

— Host has acquired Familia Oversoul Skill

— Increase +30 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: 65%

—–

Celine had been registered as William's Third Familia Member on their first night together.

This meant that Celine was now one of William's women, but his Master didn't confirm nor deny it. Her goal was to see her sister, before going to the Demonic Continent to check on her Master's condition.

Until she had seen her Master, Celine had no time to entertain romance in her life. Also, she was also worried about the Elven Prophecy that would soon come to pass. Celine didn't want William to be involved in her affairs, because this was her burden to deal with.

In time, the two fell asleep in each other's embrace. William felt terribly good feeling Celine's soft, warm, naked body nestled into his. This was the kind of intimacy that he didn't expect to share with his Master, who had been with him for many years.

An intimacy that he would not feel again, until the two of them reunited.

They woke up around noon, and bathed together for the last time. After putting on their clothes, they walked out of Eternity side by side.

The artifact shrank in size and transformed into a necklace. Celine took it in her hand and wore it, like she always did.

"Will, make sure that you return from the 51st Floor," Celine said as she squeezed his hand with her own. "Only by doing so will the two of us meet. The place you are going to is more dangerous than the Demonic Continent. Prioritize your safety, and Chiffon's, at all times."

"Yes, Master," William replied. "I promise that I will return safely. So, make sure to be safe as well."

Celine smiled and nodded her head. She gave William one last kiss on

the forehead before William sent her outside the Thousand Beast Domain.

The Half-Elf sighed and looked at the blue skies overhead. The two of them had already said their final goodbyes, and there was no use in prolonging the inevitable.

With a slightly heavy heart, William returned to the Villa where Chiffon was waiting for him.

When he arrived, Chiffon was already at the dining table eating pancakes. She was being served by Charmaine, and accompanied by B1, and B2, who were also eating pancakes beside her.

The Two Dumb Birds were quite fond of Chiffon and would often accompany her whenever she visited the Thousand Beast Domain and the Dungeon of Atlantis.

William was happy for her because she found friends that would accompany her and not make her lonely. His only concern was whether the vulgarities of the two birds would rub on the innocent girl.

"Good morning, Big Brother." Chiffon's face brightened as soon as she saw William. When she had woken up, he was not around, but she wasn't worried.

William had already told her that he might appear a bit late due to his training session with Celine.

"Good Morning, Chiffon," William replied as he sat on the chair beside her. He had already eaten breakfast with Celine, so he wasn't feeling hungry.

"Happy Birthday, Big Brother," Chiffon said.

"Thank you."

"Here is my gift to you."

Chiffon stood up from her chair and gave the Half-Elf a chocolate lollipop. The corner of William's lips twitched because he didn't know whether he should laugh, or cry at the gift that the little girl was giving him.

In the end, he thanked Chiffon and unwrapped the lollipop before putting it inside his mouth. It had been a while since he had eaten one, and it gave him a very nostalgic feeling.

Its taste reminded him of his battle against the Celestial Army that was guarding the Heavenly Gate.

'Zhu and Sha might have been born by now,' William thought as he remembered the two Demons that had helped him during the trial. 'I hope that both of them will find happiness in their new life.'

Seeing that William seemed to be enjoying the gift she gave him, the corner of Chiffon's lips raised a bit before returning her attention to the pancakes in front of her.

She had developed a habit of not wasting any food that was served to her. Chiffon carried the Sin of Gluttony. She knew more than anyone else in the world how it felt to be hungry and had nothing to eat.

While the two were spending some quality time together, two unexpected guests appeared inside the Villa.

Ian and Princess Sidonie walked in wearing their uniforms and they both made a beeline to William.

"Happy Birthday, Will."

"Happy Birthday, Darling!"

"Thank you."

Morgana was currently the one in charge of Princess Sidonie's body because her other half was still asleep. She had discussed a lot of things with Ashe till late in the night on how they would spend their night with William.

This was the day that they had been waiting for and the ever naughty Morgana had reached her limits.

"Darling, tonight, prepare yourself," Morgana whispered in William's ears. "Wait, I smell something funny."

Morgana wrinkled her nose as he sniffed around her. As the embodiment of Lust, it was very easy for her to identify the scent of lovemaking.

It was at that moment when the lollipop fell out of William's mouth because he had forgotten his lover's special ability.

"Darling~ did you by chance spend the night with a woman?" Morgana's sweet and devilish voice tickled William's ears. "Did you cheat on us?"

William lightly cleared his throat and decided to ride the tiger's back. This was the point of no return, so he decided to come clean and put all the blame on Celine!

After hearing William's story, Ian and Morgana glanced at each other. They had long known that Celine was William's Master, so they knew that he wasn't lying. Also, Chiffon was there to serve as witness.

In the end, Ian and Morgana could only sigh because the early bird had eaten William's worm. Their only concern was whether the Half-Elf could still do his duty as their lover after their class was over in the afternoon.

"Darling~ you can still do it, right?" Morgana pressed her arms over William's shoulders. "You left something for us, right?"

William gulped because right now, he had no more juice to spare because Celine had made sure to take everything for herself.

'S-System, look for the most powerful rejuvenation potion that you can find,' William ordered. 'It doesn't matter how much it is. As long as it brings my body to peak condition, anything is fine!'

< …Understood. >

Chiffon, who was still eating her pancake, looked at this scene in confusion. She was wondering what Morgana and Ian were talking about as they looked down at William with dissatisfied looks on their faces.

Fortunately, William was able to buy a powerful rejuvenation potion from the God Shop which helped him with his predicament.

That night, he was sandwiched between two beauties, who were very eager to share their first times with him, not in a Dreamworld, but in the real world, where their love for each other blazed brightly amidst the darkness.

Chapter 563: I Can't Wait To Step On Your Face

Traveling high above the clouds, a dark raven flew towards the East.

Seated on its back was Celine. She had only parted with William an hour ago, and yet the distance between them had widened significantly. Deep inside, she was relieved that her disciple had grown up to be an outstanding man.

She had a taste on just how outstanding William was, in that one week that they had been together.

Oliver, who was lurking in Celine's shadow, finally spoke up after the Tower of Babylon disappeared from view.

"Mistress, is Little Will perhaps…"

"No."

Celine cut off Oliver's question because she already knew what he was going to ask.

"He's not the Prince in the Prophecy," Celine stated. "A crest didn't appear on my body."

"… I see."

When Celine offered herself up to William, it was her way of fighting against her destiny. She was one of the bride candidates for the prophesied Prince who would not only wreak havoc in the Silvermoon Continent, but the one who would cover the entire world in darkness.

Simply put, Celine took a gamble. If William was the Prince in the prophecy, she would cancel all her plans, to visit her sister and to go to the Demonic Continent, in order to be by his side. Her purpose was to prevent him from getting corrupted by darkness and turning the world upside down.

To be honest, Celine felt relieved that William wasn't the one in the prophecy, because it meant that her disciple wouldn't have to suffer and fall into corruption.

The prophecy stated that when the prince appeared, and took either her or Celeste as his bride, a crest would appear on their body. This would prove that he was the Prince in the prophecy, a Prince that the Elves wanted to capture at all cost.

Celine wanted to be the one in control of her life. Whom she wanted to love, whom she wanted to dedicate her life to, she wanted the right to choose. She would not allow a prophecy to dictate her destiny.

She loved William, not as a man, but as her Disciple. Even so, she still chose him to be her first man. Celine would rather give her maidenhood to the Disciple she raised, than to a stranger who would deprive her of her freedom.

"Oliver, if you like, you can stay by William's side," Celine said softly. "You don't have to worry about me. As long as the Prince doesn't appear, I'll be safe wherever I go."

Oliver snorted before giving his reply, "Mistress. I am not Little Will's nanny. Also, he's no longer a child. He is now strong enough to stand on his own feet. Besides, there are many strong beings by his

side. I'm sure that he would be safe without me."

Celine nodded her head in agreement. Although she didn't want to admit it. Not having Oliver with her would make her lonely. The Parrot Monkey not only served as her loyal retainer, but someone to talk to about important matters as well.

—–

Kraetor Empire Capital, City of Azmar…

"Are the preparations for the tournament going well?" Emperor Leonidas asked Evexius who was standing beside his throne.

Evexius bowed, "Yes,Your Majesty."

"Good. Will that boy, William, participate?"

"I do not know, Your Majesty."

Evexius shook his head as he narrated the report that Gilbert had passed to him during their meeting at the Academy.

"Headmaster, Gilbert, said that William was going to the Tower of Babel to clear the 51st Floor of the Tower," Evexius reported. "He added that it was a revelation that William received from His Excellency, Aamon, when the boy went to his temple."

"Clear the 51st Floor of Babylon?" Emperor Leonidas snorted. "That sounds like a suicide mission. Either his Excellency hates the boy, or he is confident that William can clear it. What do you think, Evexius? Does that boy have what it takes to do something that you, me, and the rest of the champions of our Era failed to do?"

Evexius lowered his head as he pondered Emperor Leonidas' question. Frankly, he didn't believe that William would be able to accomplish what they had failed to achieve. Back then, He, along with Emperor Leonidas, as well as the Saints of the other Empires and Kingdoms, formed an alliance in order to pave the way for a new era.

However, they failed miserably. If not for the help of the Eight Demigods in the Central Continent, they would have been trapped on the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon for eternity.

"I don't know whether William can clear that floor or not, Your Majesty," Evexius replied after careful consideration. "However, that person has a knack for reversing a hopeless situation into a hopeful one. Even if he can't clear it, I think being able to escape with his life is not a problem."

Emperor Leonidas closed his eyes. "For now, focus on the Grand Tournament. I want this to be perfect. Don't let me down, Evexius."

Evexius pressed his fist over his chest and bowed. "Your Majesty, is it true that this year, you will allow, not only the citizens of the Empire, but also anyone who wishes to participate? Even if it's from an enemy nation?"

"Yes," Emperor Leonidas answered with his eyes still closed. "It is time for our young warriors to experience what it's like to fight those who are outside our borders. Although things are quite peaceful now, what happened to the Southern Continent was a wake up call for everyone in the Central Continent.

"They asked me to allow their prodigies to join the festivities as well. A council will be formed to set up the rules of the tournament and the prizes for the top three warriors. The scale of this tournament will be grander than any of the ones we had in the past. Evexius, I don't want any mishaps. Do I make myself clear?"

"I will do my best to meet your expectations, Your Majesty." Evexius bowed respectfully before leaving the throne room.

The Grand Archamge of the Kraetor Empire hoped that the tournament that they would be hosting would proceed smoothly. He was also curious about who would become the champion of the young generation.

Evexius knew that whoever it was, that person would definitely rise in fame, not only in the Kraetor Empire, but in the entirety of the Central Continent as well.

—–

Meanwhile inside Silverwind Academy…

'It has been a month since that Half-Elf was last seen,' Prince Jason thought as he looked outside of the window of his dormitory room. 'The tournament will start in a month and will continue for three weeks.'

Prince Jason stared at the bracelet on his wrist. This was the artifact that the Oracle of Aamon's Temple had given him, in order to counter William's ability to increase his Rank for a short period of time.

The Fifth Prince of the Kraetor Empire believed that if the two of them were in the same standing, The Half-Elf didn't have a chance of winning against him.

"You better be there, Half-Elf," Prince Jason muttered. "I can't wait to step on your face in front of everyone. I can't wait to see the despair on Sidonie's face when she sees you begging for mercy, while being crushed under my foot."

Chapter 564: I'm Sorry, But This Is Our Bottom Line

William awoke to soft breathing sounds that tickled his ears.

He glanced at the two beautiful girls that were currently nestled beside his body. They had spent a night of passion where they had consummated their love for each other.

Ashe, Princess Sidonie, and Morgana milked him dry, and forced Little Will to wave his flag in surrender. Perhaps, it was their way of punishing William for spending his first time with his Master, who was now nowhere to be found.

It was also that night when William realized that Princess Sidonie's sin was not just for show. The moment she lost her chastity, the power of her Divinity bloomed and the Princess transformed into a Succubus. The moment she transformed, an exact replica of her separated from her body.

The newcomer was, of course, Morgana.

The two beautiful girls, who looked exactly the same, made love to him like there was no tomorrow.

Ashe's performance also didn't lose to Princess Sidonie, and Morgana. The mermaid had done the deed several times with William in the Dreamworld, so her union with the Half-Elf was just as intense, even though it was her first time in the real world.

The relentless attacks of the three girls overwhelmed William. Even though he was already using his Incubus Job Class, he was unable to beat two ravenous succubi, and a jealous mermaid, who were out to milk him dry.

'I have no regrets,' William thought as he held the two beauties in his embrace. Morgana had already returned inside Princess Sidonie's Spiritual World to rest after she had her fill.

William kissed the two sleeping girls on their forehead before closing his eyes to go back to sleep. He was still feeling exhausted, and decided to sleep for an hour or two to regain a little bit of his strength back.

'I need to buy a bigger bed. A bed that will be big enough for twelve people.'

These were William's last thoughts before his consciousness sank into sleep's embrace.

Several hours later, he awoke in bed alone.

The two beauties were no longer there, but the evidence of their lovemaking remained in the sheets. William had no choice but to take all the evidence inside his storage ring to prevent a certain pink-haired girl from discovering them by accident.

William headed to the bathroom to take a bath, before going to the dining room to eat.

The only person inside the residence was Charmaine. According to her, Chiffon had gone to the Atlantis Dungeon with B1, B2, Psoglav, and Erchitu.

William thanked his personal maid because he had assigned Charmaine to prevent Chiffon from coming into his room at all cost. The little girl insisted on sleeping with William that night, like she always did for the past month, but Ashe and Princess Sidonie managed to convince her to rest in the guestroom for one night.

The two girls even made an excuse that they would be doing some secret training with William that shouldn't be leaked to outsiders. Chiffon was still half in doubt, but after William promised her that this was only a one time thing, she relented and slept with Charmaine in the guestroom.

Chiffon disliked being alone. This was why William asked his personal maid to accompany her to sleep.

After eating his brunch, William drank a rejuvenation potion to speed up the recovery of his body. Today was the day when he was supposed to climb the Tower of Babylon with Chiffon, but he decided to postpone it for a day.

(A/N: Just in case any of you don't know what brunch is, it is a late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch. Thank you Google Senpai for the answer.)

William returned to his room and sat on the couch before closing his eyes. There was a place that he wanted to visit first, and he hoped that this time around, he would find something of interest.

Crafting the Devourer's Gauntlet using the recipe for the Titania's Gauntlets had been very profitable for William. Because of this, he decided to visit the Auction on a regular basis, hoping to see some treasures that were worth bidding for.

He was also paying attention to rare weapons that the system could help him replicate, to increase the levels of his Smithing and Artificer Job Classes.

'System, take me to the Auction of the Gods.'

< Understood.

——

A few hours later…

William opened his eyes with a grin.

He left the Villa and asked the system to expand his Thousand Beast Domain another fourteen square miles.

William spent 100,000 God Points for this expansion, but it was not over yet. He asked the system to create a forest in the Northeast Area of the domain to become the home of the new additions to his herd.

The forest that the System made wasn't an ordinary forest, but an Enchanted Forest filled with rich Spiritual Energy. Now that William had God Points, it was perfectly fine for them to splurge a bit.

The forest cost William 10,000 God Points, bringing the total expenses to 110,000. After everything was prepared, William opened the special feature of the God Shop which was called, Divine Bestiary.

This was where the followers of the Gods could store the beasts that they had bought in the auction before bringing them to their world. Since Beasts were living things, they needed a special storage space that could be used to store them.

Soon a five-meter-tall golden portal appeared beside William. It was the entrance to the Divine Bestiary which housed the Beasts that he had bought from the Auction of the Gods an hour ago.

"Ok, guys, time to come out," William ordered. "Welcome to your new home."

As if waiting for that cue, thirteen white Pegasi flew out of the portal one by one. There was a seller in the auction that auctioned a dozen of them, along with their Alpha, and this was something that William couldn't pass on no matter what.

Fortunately, not many were interested in rearing Pegasus because they were very proud, and aggressive creatures. They were very hard to tame, and all of them were Class A Beasts.

Although they looked majestic, not everyone had the patience to make these beasts submit. Fortunately, William had two ways to make members of the herd submit. The first way was to have a peaceful negotiation.

The second way was to beat the crap out of them before using his Taming Skill to make them submit to him. Either way worked, so William wasn't too worried about taming any of them.

Among the thirteen Pegasus, four of them were female, which meant that William could allow them to breed and reproduce.

The Pegasi looked at the unfamiliar surroundings with a curious gaze. They were currently inside the clearing of the Enchanted Forest that William had bought to serve as their home.

The most Majestic of them, the Alpha of the Herd, walked to William and raised its head in arrogance.

It was a Centennial Ranked Pegasus, and served as the leader of the group.

William stared at the arrogant, yet dumb, horse who was looking down on him. The Half-Elf had spent 700,000 God Points to buy them all in the auction, so he intended to make them submit at all cost.

"I can feel the aura of the Eternal Guardian coming from you," The Alpha Pegasus said through telepathy. "Speak! What do you want from us? Are you one of those mortals who wish for us to become your Mounts? Even if you are a disciple of the Eternal Guardian, we will not submit to you."

The Pegasus words were laced with disdain. It looked at William with ridicule and contempt. Its last owner wasn't able to tame him and his group, so he decided to put them on auction to gain some God Points.

"Yes," William replied. "The reason why I bought you and your group was so you would serve as my mounts."

The Alpha neighed fiercely and pawed the ground, as if preparing to attack William.

"We will never submit to you!" the Alpha Pegasus said fiercely. "No one will be able to make us submit!"

—–

Ten Minutes later…

"Boss, my Pegasi and I are at your service," the Alpha Pegasus said as it stood with shaking legs. Clearly, it was having trouble standing up and could collapse at any moment. "Please, take good care of us in the future."

William nodded his head with a smile. The spiked spear in his hand was still bloody after he impaled it in the Pegasus' bum numerous times until it begged for mercy.

The other Pegasi were huddled at the edge of the clearing, and looking at William with eyes filled with fear. They had been whipped before by their former master, but they endured it and stayed true to their goal of not allowing others to mount them.

However, after seeing William's barbaric approach to negotiation, all the Pegasi decided that it would be best to compromise than suffer the wrath of William's spiked spear.

"Boss, we will agree to become mounts, however there is a condition," the Alpha Pegasus stated. "We can only be mounted by women. I'm sorry, but this is our bottom line."

"No problem," William replied. "Now, time for all of you to officially become part of my herd."

William raised his hand and used his Taming Skill to bind the Pegasi under his command. He was not someone that trusted the verbal promises of the Alpha Pegasus that was known for its stubbornness.

After all the Pegasi had been successfully added to William's herd, he sent a mental message to Charmaine, as well as the twelve other elven ladies, who were currently residing in the Thousand Beast Domain.

He had already intended to make the Pegasi their flying mounts, so that they could help William in his future battles.

It didn't take long for the Pegasi, and the Elves to warm up to each other. Both parties were quite satisfied with the arrangement that William had made for them.

"Ladies, it will be your duty to take care of them," William said. "They will serve as your loyal companions on the battlefield. So, please, make sure to get along well."

The Elves and the Pegasi nodded their heads in acknowledgement of William's orders.

"Charmaine, from now on, your unit will be called Valkyries," William declared. "You will be their leader. I will prepare a training regimen for your unit, so make sure to go to the Dungeon of Atlantis to train regularly during your free time."

"Yes, Young Master," Charmaine replied and bowed her head. "I will not let you down."

William smiled, "Good."

The Half-Elf left the group and allowed them to bond with each other more. Elves were known for their strong empathy to Magical Beasts, so William was sure that it wouldn't take long before they would get the hang of aerial warfare.

Also, William could use Rhongomyniad and bestow upon them the Aerial Cavalier Job Class, which would speed up the process of their proficiency.

William checked his status page to check on how many God Points he had left. When he met Lily and the other Gods at the Auction, he tried to pay them back with the God Points that they had loaned him.

However, the Gods just smiled and told him to keep the points because they were just small change for them. Issei, Lily, David, and Lady Eros knew that William needed the God Points more than they needed them.

—-

God Points: 3,440,042

—-

'Just over three million,' William thought as he teleported to the Dungeon of Atlantis to find Chiffon and the others. For now, he intended to save his points and use them only when it was necessary.

He had a feeling that his remaining God Points would come in handy when he made it to the 51st Floor that no one had managed to conquer for the last thousand years.

Chapter 565: Genesis, The First Floor Of The Tower Of Babylon

When the Tower of Babylon appeared in the world of Hestia, many people believed that it was a tower that had been built by Gods.

Back then, a declaration was heard by every living thing in the world, asking them to challenge the Tower and seek the riches that were hidden within.

This story happened a thousand years after the Dark Era of Humanity. Since then, millions of people have made a pilgrimage to the tower to seek fame and fortune. Many failed, and only a select few succeeded.

Each floor was supervised by a Guardian. Some called them Deities, some Administrators, and some simply called them Gods.

The people who had first cleared the floors made a contract with these Guardians, and became the rulers of the Domain. Naturally, they were also there to reinforce the rules that the Guardian had set, and allowed the others to challenge the tower.

No ruling family, or faction, was allowed to prevent anyone from climbing the tower. If they were to do so, their qualifications would be stripped from them, and others would be allowed to take their place.

For thousands of years, the people that had ruled the different floors prospered. Their clans held power, similar to the Royal Family of the different Empires and Kingdoms in the Central Continent.

Perhaps, due to their unshakeable position, some of these ruling clans had developed a tendency to abuse their authority, and harassed the challengers of the tower.

There were times when they even forced them to become their subordinates, with the promise of allowing them to climb the other floors with their backing.

William sat at a table and read all the information about the 49 Families that ruled the tower. He got the information from the Merchant's Guild that was located in the City of Babylon. Although the price he paid was quite high, the information he gained from it was worth every gold coin.

Chiffon was eating an apple pie by his side, as she waited for William to finish what he was doing. Today was the day that they would start climbing the tower, and she was quite excited to embark on an adventure with William.

It was said that if you managed to climb up to the 100th Floor of Babylon, a wish of yours would be granted. William had no intention of doing that. He only wanted to clear the 51st Floor before returning to Aamon's Temple to take on the second quest he prepared for him.

'The 2nd, 9th Floor, 16th Floor, 23rd Floor, 37th, 41st, 45th, and 49th floors are the floors where player enslavement had been confirmed,' William thought. 'I better be alert when I am on those floors. It would be best if no unforeseen events happen.'

(A/N: The people who climb the towers are called challengers or players. They will be interchanged from time to time.)

After letting the System compile all the information that he had gathered, the two finally headed towards the first floor of the tower.

The first floor of the Tower was called Genesis.

Only those that were able to clear the Guardian's test would be allowed to start climbing the tower. Those who failed would

be banned from entering the tower for a year.

According to the information, challengers were able to gain tokens whenever they cleared the tests of the Guardians. Depending on how well they performed, it was possible to earn many tokens, which they could exchange for items, weapons, artifacts, and other unique materials that were only available inside the Tower of Babylon.

William was quite interested in these items and wondered if they were better than the ones that were being sold in the God Shop.

No one owned the First Floor of the Tower, because this was the starting point of everyone. According to the information he received, the Guardian of the First Floor was a Goblin.

In order for them to advance to the Second Floor, they must choose one of the four trials that would test their ability. As long as they passed one of these trials, they would be allowed to proceed to the next floor with ease.

"Welcome to Genesis," a Hobgoblin greeted William, and Chiffon, as they entered the main entrance of the Tower. "My name is Dobbie, and I will be your guide on the first floor of the Tower."

"Hello, Dobbie," William replied. "We would like to take the test of the tower."

"Certainly, please, proceed this way," Dobbie bowed as he made a gesture for William and Chiffon to follow him.

The First Floor of the Tower was quite crowded. Many rookies could be seen chatting with each other, as their Hobgoblin guides explained to them the rules of the tests.

William and Chiffon were wearing enchanted robes with a hood to prevent others from knowing their identity. These robes were also being sold in the City of Babylon, and its effects would only work inside the tower.

The Half-Elf didn't want to attract trouble, so he decided to play it safe.

After walking for ten minutes, they arrived in front of a red door. Dobbie opened the door and made a gesture for the two to enter.

After entering the door, four more doors appeared in front of the two teenagers. William had already known what kind of tests the Floor of Genesis were giving. He even had a plan prepared. The only problem was whether his plan would work or not.

"There are four tests that you can choose from," Dobbie said as he stood in front of William.

"The First Door leads to the Trial of Blades."

"The Second Door leads to the Trial of Senses."

"The Third Door leads to the Trial of Fate."

"The Fourth Door leads to the Trial of Dominion."

Dobbie paused for a short while before bowing, "Please, choose the trial you wish to take."

The guides of the tower weren't allowed to divulge what lay behind the doors. However, the people who managed to pass these trials had already shared the information with everyone.

This means that anyone who had made necessary preparations could clear these trials and gain the approval of the Guardian to proceed to the next stage. If they liked, they could even try to clear more than one trial to gain more tokens, so they could exchange for the things inside the tower sooner.

Among the four doors, three were commonly used by people. The Fourth Door was something that no one wanted to challenge because of its absurd difficulty.

Each trial could be challenged by a team. The maximum number per team is eight people. The more people there were, the lesser the rewards. This made clearing the Genesis Floor easier. Even so, no one dared to challenge the Fourth Door after a survivor managed to escape using a forbidden technique.

The survivor shared his experience, and swore an oath to the Gods that everything he said was true. After getting confirmation from one of the Oracles in the Temple, affirming the survivor's words, nobody chose to challenge the Fourth Door ever again.

"I choose the Fourth Door," William said as he firmly held Chiffon's hand. "This person will accompany me inside."

The Hobgoblin smiled and nodded its head. "As you wish."

With a wave of its hand, all the other doors disappeared except for the Fourth Door.

"May the Guardian smile upon your choice," the Hobgoblin bowed before opening the door. He had been guiding challengers for nearly ten years in the Tower of Babylon.

The Hobgoblin knew that it would never see these two people again, because they were about to die a brutal death. Since that was the case, the least he could do was to be courteous and wish them luck for the choice they made.

A powerful suction pulled William and Chiffon inside the door. The pink-haired girl subconsciously clung to her Big Brother's arm as both of them entered a world of darkness.

————

"Hmm?" The Guardian of the First Floor opened its eyes because someone had chosen the Fourth Door of the trial on the floor that it administered.

It had been over a hundred years since someone had chosen the Fourth Trial, and the Guardian wondered if some unlucky fool had been kicked in the head by a donkey to make such a suicidal choice.

"Well, I guess, it's time for me to know what this idiot looks like." The Guardian yawned before heading towards the trial grounds where the test was held.

He wanted to see for himself the kind of face the challenger would have once he saw what lay beyond the door of Dominion.

Chapter 566: Trial Of Dominion [Part 1]

Dark-red clouds loomed above the heavens and the ground under their feet was rough and uneven.

William and Chiffon felt their strength decreasing at a rapid rate. The Half-Elf had already reached the initial stages of the Mithril Rank, while Chiffon was in the initial stages of the Platinum Rank.

(A/N: Mithril Rank is equivalent to Class A Beasts. Platinum is equivalent to Class B Beasts.)

However, right now, both of their Ranks continued to regress. After two minutes, both of their Ranks stopped at the Bronze Rank (Class E).

William flexed his right arm and tested his body's reaction time.

'The laws of this floor is the real deal,' William thought as he did some stretching exercises. 'Although my rank decreased, my fighting ability remains intact.'

According to the last survivor, the Fourth Trial was impossible to clear. There were two reasons for this.

The first one was that whoever chose this trial would have their strength sapped away from their body, until they reached the Bronze Rank.

If it was only a regression in rank then it wouldn't be such a big deal. However, what they would face after being stripped of their strength was simply asking them to die.

William looked at the farthest point of his vision and saw a red fog, moving in their direction. When the fog was only a mile away from them, several figures emerged from it, each armed with a weapon of their own.

Hundreds…

Thousands…

Tens of thousands…

Hundreds of thousands…

A million…

Chiffon's eyes widened when she saw the familiar looking creatures that were marching towards their direction with the intention to kill.

'Looks like that survivor's testimony is correct,' William mused as he eyed the million strong army that had made this trial impossible to clear for normal people.

Yes. The reason why the survivor said that the fourth trial was impossible to clear was due to the fact that after he was stripped of his power, he had to face an army of Goblins that numbered in the millions.

Even if that person was a former Saint, there was no way they could defeat this kind of army even if they had eight members in their team.

"Kcatta!" The Hobgoblin Leader raised its sword and shouted.

""Kcatta!""

After making his declaration known, the Hobgoblin leader points its weapon to William and ran forward, leading the charge.

""Kcatta!""

The ground trembled as the entire goblin army charged forward, brandishing their weapons. Chiffon frowned as she held William's hand tighter. The Half-Elf squeezed her hand back to assure her that everything was under control.

A portal appeared in front of William and four figures emerged from it.

Xerxes, the Hobgoblin Arcane Doctor, who was seated on top of its Salamander Beast Companion.

Rex, the Hobgoblin Chieftain who was mounted on top of a Trollhound.

Sharx, the Goblin Marauder who was mounted on top of his mount, Sparky.

And a two-meter-tall Goblin wearing a white, full body armor. It was holding a blue sword in its right hand, and a silver-round-shield in the other. It was seated on top of a Flying Tiger that William had bought in the Auction House for thirty thousand God Points.

His name was Jareth, the Goblin Paladin, the new addition to the

officers of William's Goblin Army, and boasted the highest attack power among all the Goblins under his command.

Due to the laws of the trial, all of their ranks had also regressed to Class E Beasts. However, William's purpose for summoning them was not to fight the Goblin Army but to recruit them!

Jareth urged his mount forward and fearlessly faced the charging Goblins head-on. Xerxes, Rex, and Sharx, followed behind him. Just like humans, Goblins had a hierarchy as well.

The strongest Goblin would become the King, and everyone else had to submit to his will.

Just as William expected, the frontrunners of the Goblin Army slowed down their advance. The goblins at the back also felt the presence of a strong Goblin and their instincts kicked in.

"Ohw si ruoy redael?" Jareth asked. "Emoc tou dna thgif!"

(Who is your leader? Come out and fight!)

(A/N: If you can understand Goblin Language then you must be a goblin as well. Kekeke!)

The Goblin Army glanced at each other before looking behind them.

At the very rear of the army, a black goblin that was three meters tall stepped forward. It brandished its war axe left and right, and glared at Jareth who was looking back at it with a calm expression.

William arched an eyebrow and used his appraisal skill to see this type of Goblin that he had never seen before.

—–

< Dark Goblin Warmonger >

(Rank Suppressed to Class E)

— Goblin War Commander

— Threat Level: SS (Low)

— Millennial Beast

— Cannot be added to the herd

— The Dark Goblin Warmonger is a new breed of Goblin that evolved due to the need for war. It is a very aggressive Goblin Commander that was known to attack less fortified Human cities in order to expand its territory.

— It is also known to forcefully assimilate goblin encampments into its army to bolster its rank.

— It has the ability Titan Form, which allows it to increase its size up to ten meters, tripling its strength and fighting prowess.

—–

'Oh, this is one tough cookie to beat,' William thought as he eyed the Dark Goblin Warmonger in front of him. 'However, it doesn't matter. Jareth will be able to handle it.'

A devilish smile appeared on William's face as he looked at the Goblin Paladin that he had bought for Ten Million Dungeon Points.

—–

< Jareth >

(Rank Suppressed to Class E)

— Goblin Paladin

— Divine Champion

— Threat Level: SS (Mid)

— Millennial Beast

— Chosen Deity: Keem Shin

— A rare breed of Goblin that was said to hold great courage, strength, and intellect. It is not an exaggeration to call it the Champion of all Goblins due to its powerful presence in the battlefield.

— The Goblin Paladin can choose to become the follower of a God. Upon doing so, they will be able to use Divine Powers in the Mortal Realm and fight for the cause they believed in.

— Jareth has chosen Keem Shin as his Patron God, which enabled the Goblin Paladin to wield his powers.

< Skills granted by Keem Shin >

(Keem Shin is the God of Goblins)

— Weapon Master

Allows the Goblin Paladin to wield any kind of weapon and use it effectively in battle.

— Regeneration

Allows the Goblin Paladin to recover from its injuries over the passage of time. Although this regeneration ability is weaker than the Hydra and Mountain Troll, it will still be enough to allow the goblin to regrow any part of its body (with the exception of its heart and brain) within an hour after it was destroyed.

— Supernatural Strength

Thrice a day, the Goblin Paladin can increase its stats by an additional 100%

— Supernatural Senses

The Goblin Paladin can increase its sense of taste, smell, touch, sight, and hearing, tenfold if needed.

— Supernatural Resilience

Able to endure powerful attacks and recover at a faster rate.

— Supernatural Mobility

The Goblin Paladin can blink ten meters away from its location consecutively. This ability lasts for half a minute, and has a cooldown period of five minutes.

— Healing

Due to the blessing of its chosen Deity, Keem Shin, the Goblin Paladin has the power to heal others.

— Energy Blast

Gives the Goblin Paladin the ability to channel the magical energy in its surroundings, and create an energy blast to push away its surrounding enemies.

— Divine Shield

Any attack that the Goblin Paladin's Shield will receive will be reduced by 50%

— Light Manipulation

The Goblin Paladin is a being blessed by the power of Light Magic. It can effectively cast any rank of light magic up to the 7th Circle.

——

'That ten million dungeon points is worth it.' William smirked. 'Show them what you can do Jareth, and nab me a million more goblins for my Goblin Army!'

Unknown to William, the Guardian of the Floor of Genesis was looking at this scene with a dumbfounded expression.

'Someone found a loophole in the trial I made,' The Guardian thought while scratching its head. Although the duel between the two Goblin Commanders hadn't started yet, it had a nagging feeling that the worst was yet to come.

Chapter 567: Trial Of Dominion [Part 2]

The Goblin Paladin and the Dark Goblin Warmonger faced each other.

William and the Goblin Army stood far away from both combatants in order to not get in the way of their battle.

The Dark Goblin Warmonger was a meter taller than The Goblin Paladin and looked more intimidating. However, Jareth's holy presence wasn't something that could be ignored either.

Both fighters had taken their fighting stance and circled each other. At the blink of an eye, both Goblins clashed against each other, making the ground under their feet burst apart. A second later, Jareth jumped to the side and evaded The Goblin Warmonger's follow up attack.

After the initial clash, Jareth realized that the Goblin Warmonger was stronger than him in regards to body strength. Although the Goblin's Paladin's rank was higher than his opponent, he was an all rounder.

The Dark Goblin Warmonger, on the other hand, was a creature that specialized in physical strength. This gave it an upper hand in their initial clash.

Emboldened that it was stronger than its enemy, the Goblin Warmonger unleashed a flurry of blows that forced Jareth to dodge and keep his distance.

Seeing that their champion had the advantage, the goblins raised their weapons and cheered. Xerxes, Sharx, and Rex, also started to cheer for Jareth. They had full confidence in him for he was the strongest Goblin in their ranks.

After a minute of dodging, Jareth suddenly took the initiative to close the distance, and used his shield to bash the body of his opponent, breaking the Goblin Warmonger's momentum.

This attack caught his enemy by surprise, and was unable to regain his balance right away. Jareth didn't miss this opportunity and thrust his sword towards his opponent's chest to claim his victory.

However, something unexpected happened.

Sensing that its life was in danger, the Goblin Warmonger immediately activated its Titan Form, increasing its body size instantly.

Jareth's sword pierced through the Titan's knees, missing the opportunity to end its opponent's life.

The Goblin Warmonger roared and kicked its opponent away with the intention of breaking all of Jareth's bones.

Unfazed by this sudden change of events, Jareth used his Supernatural Mobility to blink behind his opponent, and slashed the Goblin Warmonger's calves.

'Too shallow,' William thought as he observed the battle from afar.

Just like he thought, Jareth's attack was only able to deal a flesh wound to his opponent. The Goblin paladin hastily backed away because it realized that its current tactics won't work against its oversized opponent.

'I've never seen a Goblin as smart as this one.' The Guardian rubbed his chin in appreciation. 'I want to add him to my collection.'

The enraged Goblin Warmonger ran towards The Goblin Paladin with the intention of

stomping him to death.

Thanks to his Supernatural Mobility, Jareth was able to evade these frenzied attacks. The Goblin Paladin distanced himself from his enemy, while gathering the energy in his surroundings to deliver a lethal blow to its adversary.

William didn't expect that he would be able to witness this kind of battle against two combatants, whose power levels had been downgraded to the bare minimum.

The blue sword in Jareth's hand glowed brightly. Light extended from its tip, forming a longer blade that shone brightly, amidst the dark-red sky that loomed over their heads.

"Rise at the face of Adversity," Jareth shouted as he pulled back his sword, just like a baseball bat preparing to be swung. ",and overwhelm all opposition! Laugh for me! Joyeuse!"

(A/N: I translated it to make things easier for everyone. No need to thank me *wink wink*)

Jareth released the shield in his hand and held his sword, Joyeuse, with both hands. A humming sound reverberated in the battlefield as the blade of light extended several meters in length.

The Goblin Paladin then swung it with all of its might at the approaching Titan, whose weapon was ready to meet his blow.

A blinding flash of light illuminated the surroundings when the two weapons clashed, which forced everyone to cover their eyes.

Only the Guardian of Genesis didn't avert his gaze to see the final conclusion of the battle. Within that white world, the giant war axe was split in two. Joyeuse went past the Goblin Warmonger's body, drawing the conclusion to the battle.

'Good!' the Guardian grinned happily at the wonderful display that the Goblin Paladin had shown in battle. However, the grin on his face disappeared when he noticed something unexpected.

The white world receded, and William once again opened his eyes. The Dark Goblin Warmonger had returned to its normal size and laid face down on the ground.

Jareth, on the other hand, stood straight and tall with its cape fluttering in the wind. His blue sword had already regained its normal form. A soft hum was heard in the wind. It was as if the Joyeuse was saying that it had enjoyed the battle that had transpired.

The Goblin Paladin faced the million strong Goblin Army and raised his word up high. A few seconds later, a resounding cheer spread across the trial floor as the Goblins swore their allegiance to their new leader.

"Why?"

A hoarse sound reached Jareth's ears. The Goblin Paladin glanced at the Goblin Warmonger that was still lying on the ground.

"Why didn't you kill me?" the Goblin Warmonger asked.

The Goblin Paladin sheathed his weapon before walking towards his fallen adversary.

"I didn't kill you because I admire your strength," Jareth said. "If possible, I want to fight side by side with you on the battlefield."

"You will regret this. When I recover my strength, I will challenge you again. This time, the victor will be me."

"Go ahead. Challenge me as many times as you want. The result will still be the same."

The Goblin Warmonger raised its head to look at the Goblin Paladin that had knelt beside him.

"Where is your confidence coming from?" the Goblin Warmonger asked as it forced itself to try to stand. However, due to its injuries, it wasn't able to lift its body from the ground.

Jareth extended his hand to help as a gesture of friendship. The Goblin Warmonger looked at his hand for a moment before firmly grabbing it with its own hand.

The Goblin Paladin smiled, while pulling his new comrade to stand by his side.

"You ask where my confidence is coming from, right?" Jareth asked. "My confidence lies in him."

The Goblin Paladin's gaze landed on the red-headed teenager who had a confident smile on his face.

"I see," the Goblin Warmonger replied. "Fine. Let me see if this confidence of yours will stand the test of time. When that confidence of yours wanes, it will be my time to make you my subordinate."

Jareth didn't reply, and simply nodded his head. Deep inside, the Goblin Paladin was smiling evilly. He was looking forward to seeing the expression of his new comrade at arms when the latter discovered the forces under William's command.

By then, all the doubts in the Goblin Warmonger's mind would disappear. Perhaps, it would even become his rival, in getting the good graces of the Half-Elf that had a penchant for attracting all kinds of troubles that came his way.

Chapter 568: The Guardian Of The First Floor Of Babylon

"That was wonderful. Bravo!" a voice filled with admiration was heard coming from the sky.

William raised his head and saw what seemed to be a green-skinned man with a black mane draped over his shoulder.

The strange man was over two meters tall and had above average looks. Even though this was the first time William was seeing him in this life, he was aware of the man's identity.

The man's name was Xod. He was the Guardian assigned to the First Floor of the Tower of Babylon.

"You passed this trial with flying colors, and may I say, that was the most amazing performance I have seen in my lifetime!" Xod declared. "However, you're making a very big mistake here. The goblins on this floor all belong to me. You can't take them without my permission."

William smiled and nodded his head in understanding. "I see. I apologize for my rudeness, your Excellency."

The information he received from the Merchant Guild informed him that Xod would often show himself during the trials, whenever he found something of interest.

William hoped that the Guardian wouldn't show himself during his trial, so that he could smuggle the Goblin Army into his Thousand Beast Domain. Unfortunately, Xod appeared, so he wouldn't be able to proceed with the plan he had in mind.

"But, after seeing that duel, I think the two of us can come to an agreement," Xod stated as he looked at Jareth with great interest. He appraised the Goblin Paladin like a connoisseur who had an obsession when it came to a new breed of goblins.

Xod stared at Jareth for half a minute, before shifting his attention back to William.

"Your reward for clearing this trial is Four Thousand Tokens," Xod said. "These tokens are used as currency inside the Tower of Babylon.

"You can use these tokens to buy exclusive items in the Babylon Shop, or just spend them however you wish as you climb the tower. Now, let's return to the topic at hand. I see that you are interested in my goblins, right?"

"Yes, Your Excellency," William replied.

"Well, at least you are honest. Now, how about we make a trade? I will give you my Goblin Army, as well as an additional Five Thousand Tokens for that Goblin wearing a knight's armor." Xod pointed at Jareth with a grin. "Not only that, I can use my authority as a Guardian, and allow you to jump straight to the 10th Floor of Babylon. So, are you up for a trade?"

Xod believed that the offer he gave William was something the boy couldn't resist. Although he thought that it was overkill to pay that much for a single goblin, the Guardian of the First Floor wasn't able to resist its exclusive Hobby.

And that Hobby was collecting rare breeds of Goblins.

Xod was a being that came from another world. Nor was he the only one; all the Guardians of the Tower were beings that were not native to the World of Hestia.

"Okay deal," William replied with a smile. "Let's trade."

Xod arched his eyebrow as he stared at the red-headed teenager who was looking at him as if he had struck a great bargain.

"Jareth, sorry, but this is where we will part," William said as he patted the Goblin Paladin's arm. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," Jareth flashed William a refreshing smile.

Xod watched this scene in confusion. He was expecting that William would reject his offer, or bargain with him to raise the stakes. However, not only did the Half-Elf do that, he even agreed to his proposal in a heartbeat.

As if afraid that the Guardian would go back on his word, William opened several portals in front of the Goblin Army. Xerxes, Sharx, and Rex, went to work and started herding the Goblins towards the portals that led to the Thousand Beast Domain.

Sharx stood on top of his mount, Sparky, and raised his chin in arrogance.

"Any goblin who wants to be as strong as I, enter the portal," Sharx announced. "I will teach you how to ride a Doge!"

The Goblin Marauder then glanced at Xod and gave the Guardian a smile, before returning his attention to the goblin army.

All the Goblins looked at him in awe. In their eyes, they wanted to be just like Sharx and own a powerful mount like the one he was seated upon.

"Okay, everyone please line up," Xerxes ordered. "Come inside the portals in an orderly

manner. No pushing, okay?"

Xerxes also turned his head to look at Xod. It even bowed his head showing how happy it was.

The Hobgoblin Shamans' on the other hand were looking at Xerxes in admiration. They could instinctively feel that the Hobgoblin Arcane Doctor was one of the branches of evolution that was available to them.

All the Goblins' desires to become strong made them increase their pace to enter the portals.

William looked at this scene with satisfaction, while Xod blinked his eyes in confusion. The stares of the Half-Elf's goblins made him feel uncomfortable. It was as if he had been given the short end of the stick in the deal he made with the red-headed teenager.

"W-Wait, I changed my mind," Xod said as he placed his hand on William's shoulder. "I no longer want your Goblin."

"Um? Why?" William asked in confusion. "Didn't we already make the deal? Are you going back on our deal?"

"Yes, we've already made a deal," Xod answered. "But, I changed my mind. I think I am on the losing end of this transaction."

William chuckled internally because the gamble he had taken had paid off. According to the information he got from the Merchant Guild, Xod had a mild case of Paranoia.

If things were going too smoothly for the Guardian, Xod would think that something was wrong, and would immediately think of a way to back out of the agreement he personally proposed.

Right now, Half of the Goblin Army had already passed through the portals, and it would take a few more minutes before all of them had been smuggled away.

"This is no good," William said as he shook his head. "We already made a deal. Wouldn't your reputation take a hit if you were to renege our deal?"

Xod frowned. Although he was akin to a Demigod inside the Tower, there were certain rules that bound him in place that prevented him from directly harming the challengers on the floor he managed.

Also, William had passed his trial, and received the Tower's approval. It would reflect badly on Xod's record if he were to casually break an agreement that he himself proposed.

'It's fine. They are just ordinary goblins,' Xod tried to convince himself internally. 'A million Goblins in exchange for a Goblin Paladin is worth it.'

William smirked and turned around to look at the new additions to his army. He muttered something in a barely audible voice that made Xod's expression become grim.

"A million goblins for a Goblin Paladin, what a steal! I have over ten thousand Goblin Paladins, so losing one isn't a big deal. Fortunately, he only asked for one. What a sweet bargain!"

Xod was capable of knowing everything that happened inside his domain. Because of this, even the faintest whispers could easily reach his ears. Right now, his full attention was on William. It would be impossible for him to miss the teenager's casual mumbling.

'No good! I got scammed!' Xod almost lost his composure. If this news was to reach the other Guardians of the Tower, he would be so embarrassed to show himself in their Gathering Hall.

He couldn't allow that to happen!

"Boy, we need to talk," Xod said in a voice that wouldn't accept no for an answer.

William glanced at the Guardian. "Yes?"

"Like I said earlier, this transaction is unfair," Xod smiled. "Because of this, we will change the contents of our agreement. I will sell you the million strong goblin army for two thousand Tokens."

William rubbed his chin with a frown. "I will only agree if you sell them to me for five hundred Tokens. Any higher than that and the deal is off."

"Okay deal! Mind you, if you go back on your word, I will kick you out of the tower and ban your entry."

"… Fine. I agree to this condition."

William lowered his head and sighed. He then reluctantly fished out five Golden Tokens from his storage ring and gave it to Xod with an aggrieved expression. This brought down William's Token Count to 3,500 Tokens.

(A/N: Each Golden Token is worth a hundred tokens.)

"8500 Tokens, I could have bought a lot of items in the tower for that." William sighed for the second time.

Seeing William's dejected face, Xod felt better and nodded his head in satisfaction.

"I like working with smart people," Xod said as he patted William's shoulder. "There are times when people need to take a step back, to ensure that the bridges will not be burned down. You did the right thing in agreeing to my request. Also, don't mention what happened here to the other Guardians, okay?"

William sighed for the third time before nodding his head. He was like a gambler that had lost his life savings in a bet, which made Xod feel that he got the upper hand in the deal.

After all the Goblins, including Jareth, Xerxes, Sharx, and Rex, had safely returned to the Thousand Beast Domain, William closed the portal and held Chiffon's hand.

"Your Excellency, please, send us to the next floor," William said in a dejected tone.

Xod nodded his head and clapped his hand. Soon William and Chiffon disappeared from the trial room and turned into beams of light headed towards the Second Floor of the Tower.

—–

After arriving at the Second Floor of the Tower, the first thing that William did was to go back to the Thousand Beast Domain with Chiffon, to increase the number of floors in the Goblin Crypt.

Right now, The Goblin Crypt had Sixty Five Floors and was undergoing a massive renovation, in order to accommodate the new goblins that had joined his ranks.

Due to the war, William's army had swelled to nearly a million. They were mostly composed of Goblins, the Beasts in the Thousand Beast Domain, the Revenants from the Minotaur Race, under Erchitu's command, and Revenant Centaurs, under Bastian.

With the addition of the goblins from the tower, William's forces were now nearly two million.

Earlier, he had talked to Jareth, Xerxes, Sharx, and Rex, to act as if they were very happy with the deal he made with Xod. He was hoping that the Guardian would feel something was off and trigger his paranoia.

William wasn't worried even if Xod decided to not cancel the agreement. He had already made a backup plan, which would forcefully summon Jareth back to his side after leaving the Tower. This would not leave any kind of Trace, and the Guardian couldn't accuse William of anything.

How could he possibly allow his prized Goblin Paladin to be taken away from him? William had no intention of doing so. William could only have one Goblin Paladin at a time, and he had spent Ten Million Dungeon Points to get him.

When William mumbled that he had over ten thousand Goblin Paladins, his intention was to lower Jareth's value in Xod's eyes. Collectors only appreciate something if they are rare.

If they were all over the place like cabbages, he would feel that the deal was not worth it.

William used the Guardian's paranoia and collector's mindset to lay a trap for him. Fortunately, it worked and the Half-Elf didn't have to resort to his Plan B.

The Half-Elf spent half a day inside the Thousand Beast Domain to fix everything. While he was busy with his remodeling, Xerxes, Sharx, Rex, and the Goblin Warmonger took the Goblins to the Atlantis Dungeon and helped them familiarize themselves with the place.

William hoped that after a few months, the new Goblins would all evolve to stronger forms, which would immediately increase the strength of the forces under his command.

Chapter 569: Champion's Den

After William and Chiffon had left the First Floor of Babylon, Xod had started to feel uneasy.

This feeling was very uncomfortable, so he decided to return to the Guardian Hall, where the other Guardians resided.

Each Guardian was tasked to become the administrator of a floor. Naturally, the floors that had already been conquered had "owners" who had made a contract with the Guardians after clearing their trials for the first time.

Among all the floors, the Genesis Floor which Xod supervised was the only exception to this rule. Since it was the floor that tested whether the challengers had qualifications to climb the tower or not, no ruling family could claim it as their own.

"Oogwei, I need your wisdom," Xod approached a foot-long black turtle who was busy reading a book. "I want to use your Index."

The turtle gave Xod a side-long glance before casually flipping the page of its book. "That is Master Oogwei to you, Xod. What is it this time? I thought I told you to stop bothering me."

The small turtle was the Guardian of the Third Floor of the Tower. Among all the guardians, he was the most well informed and knew many things about the multiverse they were currently in.

"I want you to check on how rare a Goblin Paladin is."

"You and your fetish with Goblins. Scram and leave me alone!"

Xod coaxed the little turtle by promising to give it a bowl of lettuce. Oogwei reluctantly agreed to the green-skinned man's request, after a bowl of lettuce was placed in front of it.

"What do you want to know again?" Oogwei asked as it summoned a black book in front of it.

Xod repeated his request about finding the rarity of the Goblin Paladin that he had seen earlier. The little turtle snorted and the black book opened by itself.

It stopped at a page where a Goblin, wearing dazzling armor, a sword, and a shield, was seen polishing its weapon.

—–

< Goblin Paladin >

Rarity: SSR+

— Only one Goblin Paladin is born among a billion goblins.

— A Goblin Paladin's Rank after evolution will start at the Millennial Rank.

— It's next form, Goblin Sovereign, pushes its rank to the Myriad Rank.

— This is the strongest Goblin in Existence

—-

"That scammer!" Xod shouted in anger. "He tricked me!"

Xod's shout was so loud that Oogwei and the other Guardians looked at him with dumbfounded expressions. This was the first time they had seen their colleague act this way, and their interest was quite piqued.

"You got scammed?" Oogwei asked with a smirk. "Who scammed you? I want to meet that person."

'Oh, Sh*t!'

Xod had completely forgotten where he was and acted on impulse. The other guardians approached him as if they were paparazzi looking for juicy gossip.

Xod's green skin wasn't able to help him from turning beet-red out of shame and anger. He hastily returned to his own Domain to escape the inquiry of his acquaintances, and to think of a way on how to take his revenge on the Half-Elf that was currently out of his reach.

After seeing Xod leave, the smirk on Oogwei's face widened as he shifted his attention to the book in front of it.

"Hack the visual records of the First Floor for the past 24 hours," Oogwei ordered. "Find the reason why Xod

became upset."

[Understood.]

The pages turned and stopped on what seemed to be a war that was about to begin. Oogwei scrutinized the red-headed teenager with curiosity and watched everything unfold. The little turtle chuckled when it saw Xod try to break the deal that he made with the Half-Elf, due to the latter's first-class acting skills.

"This person has guts," Oogwei muttered before giving out another order. "Find his location on the second floor."

[Understood.]

[Target not found on the second floor.]

[Cannot do a full sweep due to the floor's restriction.]

The little turtle frowned. If the book told him that William wasn't on the second floor then it means that he really wasn't on the second floor. It then asked the book to check if his target had already appeared on the Third Floor, but the answer was still negative.

Oogwei pondered for a bit, before giving out another order.

"Inform me as soon as his presence is detected inside the Tower. It doesn't matter what floor he is on. Notify me as soon as a match is made."

[Understood.]

—–

William was currently sleeping inside his Villa at the Thousand Beast Domain. Setting up the place where the Goblins would stay took most of his time and energy.

As soon as he was done, William had dinner with Chiffon and went to sleep. Chiffon was also tired from playing with B1 and B2 inside Atlantis, and accompanied the boy to sleep. They had been together for more than a month already, and they usually slept by each other's side.

The next day, the two reappeared on the Second Floor of Babylon, to take the test to proceed to the next floor.

"The test will begin in ten minutes," a pretty lady said with a smile. "All challengers, please proceed to the Grand Arena."

The Second Floor of Babylon was ruled by the Agnis family. This family prided themselves on being the first family to clear the tower. Because of this, the Guardian of the Second Floor gave them the rights to conduct their own trials to test the challengers of the tower.

As a Martial Family, they believed that only the strong were qualified to climb the tower. This was why their test required all the challengers to fight each other in a Royal Rumble.

There was only one trial held everyday, and all participants who wanted to proceed to the next floor must participate in it. No substitutions were allowed.

Everyday, only five people were allowed to pass this trial. Those who failed were allowed to take the test again the next day.

If the First Floor was called the Genesis, the second floor was called Champion's Den, for only the champions were allowed to leave this place.

Most challengers weren't able to climb past this floor because of the sheer difficulty it presented. This was why teams of five were quite common in the second floor, to give themselves a higher chance of passing the trial.

Those who had given up climbing the tower had settled as residents of this floor. They would always go to the Grand Arena to look at the new batch of people that would fail, just like them. Because of their experience, some of these people had developed a crab mentality.

This was a mentality that the Agnis family had encouraged and even gave the losers a way to vent their frustrations.

The time limit for the Royal Rumble was two hours. If after two hours, there were more than five people remaining inside the Grand Arena, the audience was given the permission to enter and eliminate the players, until only five of them were left.

This was a very unique, and brutal way, to ensure that all the players would fight each other to the fullest. Getting ganged up by spectators who numbered nearly half a million, was not a fun way to get beaten to a pulp.

"Don't leave my side no matter what, okay?" William said as he patted Chiffon's head.

Chiffon nodded while putting on the Devourer's Gauntlets that William had crafted for her. The Half-Elf had given her permission to attack anyone that came near her striking range.

The pink-haired girl's rank was Platinum. This meant that she was more than capable of fighting half of the participants in the Grand Arena. William wasn't too worried about her safety because he had already seen how Chiffon fought during their Dungeon Exploration.

Fighting against opponents of the same rank would not pose any difficulty to her.

'Fifteen,' William rubbed his chin as he looked at his status page. 'Nine Mithril, five Adamantium, and one Black.'

These were the strongest people who posed against William, and Chiffon, inside the Grand Arena.

Since only five were allowed to survive, these fifteen individuals would definitely do their best to secure a slot. William had asked the system to put a marker on these individuals depending on their ranks.

The Half-Elf knew that they must avoid the Black Ranked person at all cost. This was why he moved to the location that was farthest away from the person.

'I just hope that you don't go out of your way to come to our side,' William thought as he led Chiffon to the corner of the arena. 'I don't want to use my Heroic Avatar so early in the game.'

Chapter 50 - 560-569

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