Chapter 581: Floor of Partings
The Ninth Floor of the Tower of Babylon was called the Floor of Partings.
The reason for this name was that when the tower just opened, this floor had been a turning point for most of the players who challenged the tower.
This was the floor that many people hated, especially if they came to the tower in groups of two or more. The reason? The trial of this floor required a party to fight against each other.
If the party had two members, only one of them would proceed to the next floor. If the party had six, three of them would pass.
What happened if the group was an odd number? That was the worst part. If there were three people in the group, only one of them could pass. If there were five, only two of them would pass.
For a group of seven, only three could proceed to the next floor.
This was why this Floor was called the Floor of Partings. It is the floor where people had to separate with their family, friends, and acquaintances in order to proceed to the next stage of their journey.
The players that had been left behind wouldn't be able to challenge the tower for half a year. This was a long period of time, and most people just spent their days in the City of Babylon, waiting for their family, friends, and acquaintances to reunite with them, if they ever decided to stop climbing the Tower of Babylon.
"Xander, your tyranny ends today."
"You're a fool, Xavier. Why don't you embrace the legacy that has been passed down to us? This is our birthright, you should just embrace it!"
"Shut up!" Xavier roared as he attacked his Big Brother using his blade.
Xander calmly parried Xavier's blow before counterattacking.
Since Xavier specialized in speed and mobility, he was able to evade his Big Brother's attack that had been targeted at his legs.
Around the two combatants, a great battle was taking place. Both their subordinates were duking it out, and casualties were piling up on both sides.
Xander had found his little brother's hideout and mobilized an army, to finally put an end to their couple years-long struggle for the position of Patriarch.
It was quite unfortunate that Xavier was not an easy bone to chew, and Xander had attacked his home turf. Although the older among the two had superior numbers, this advantage was greatly reduced after being subjected to traps, and guerilla type warfare.
When the two forces finally clashed against each other, the disparity wasn't that big, and the battle raged with great intensity.
"Just surrender and accept your fate!" Xander shouted as two of his subordinates bombarded Xavier with magic spells that were meant to restrain him and slow down his movements.
Xavier angrily cursed his Big Brother's dirty tactic. He had long known that Xander would not bat an eye in resorting to playing dirty as long as his goal was achieved.
"Bastard! Fight me one on one!" Xavier backed away in order to dodge the bombardment that rained above his head.
Xander sneered as he closed the gap between himself and his little brother. He had timed his attack perfectly with his subordinate to create an opportunity to kill his brother before his subordinates appeared to help him.
Just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, two beams of light descended from the sky.
Xander's sword hit something solid, preventing him from ending his brother's life. He cursed internally because he didn't expect that something would get in his way of ending the battle that he thought was already in the bag.
William and Chiffon, who
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just arrived at the 9th Floor, found themselves in the middle of a war between the two brothers.
They didn't expect that they would arrive in this manner, and were confused on what to do next. However, after looking at the glaring person in front of him, an idea popped inside William's head.
"Who are you?" William asked as he looked who seemed to have lost all his money in the casino by going all in.
"I am Xander Alf Tristan!" Xander declared. "Get out of my way or die!"
William nodded as he took a fighting stance.
"So you're the older brother," William replied. "Thanks. That is all I need to know."
Without any warning, William immediately lunged at Xander in order to knock him unconscious. Unfortunately, Xander had already raised his guard the moment William made his appearance. He activated an artifact that allowed him to teleport away from his location for a few meters.
This move, however, didn't deter William as he stomped on the ground to continue his pursuit. Chiffon was already running behind William and was closing the distance at a rapid pace.
Their goal was to capture Xander and use him as a hostage to stop the war. He didn't intend to kill the guy because the Guardian paid close attention to the direct bloodline of the main family.
He already had the Agnis Family hounding his backside. He didn't want the Tristan Family to be added to that list.
"Who are you?!" Xander asked in irritation. "Why are you getting in my way?!"
This was the first time that Xander saw William. It didn't take long for him to realize that the red-headed teenager was a player who had just arrived in their domain. This was why he couldn't understand why the new arrival seemed to be determined to fight him at all cost.
William didn't reply because he didn't come to this floor to talk. His goal was the 51st Floor, so taking care of Xander was just a means to an end.
Just as he was about to clash with his target, several chains rained down from the sky.
William dodged to the side and unleashed a powerful gust of wind to blow away the chains that came out of nowhere.
Xander took this opportunity to teleport away. But, William also had an ability that allowed him to move as fast as lightning. The moment Xander Teleported, William appeared right in front of him with his wooden staff raised high.
A resounding clap reverberated across the battlefield.
William flew several meters away before falling on the ground with a thud. A second later, he was back at his feet again and stared at Xander with a frown.
'That hurt,' William thought as he endured the throbbing pain on his right chest. The moment he unleashed an attack to knock Xander unconscious, a powerful defensive spell erupted from the artifact hanging on his target's neck, sending him flying a few meters away.
"It won't work," Xavier appeared beside William. "I don't know who you are, but my brother can't be damaged or killed by anyone except me. The necklaces on our neck were given to us by his Excellency, Yves, to prevent other people from taking our lives."
Earlier, the spells that Xander's subordinates aimed at him weren't damaging spells, but restraining spells. This was why the artifact that Xavier was wearing didn't activate.
William scratched his head because Oogwei didn't tell him anything about the artifact. However, since he was now informed about the rules between the siblings' battle, he would not commit the same mistake again and use restraining spells in order to let Xavier deal the killing blow to his brother.
Just as William was about to put his plan into action, two men appeared beside Xander that exuded the power of Saints.
At the same time, two people also landed beside Xavier and carried him far from William. They were the Two Saints working for Xavier.
Although they had seen how William attacked Xander, they still couldn't trust him completely. They thought that this was all a ruse in order to get their Young Master's trust, so that Xavier would lower his guard.
It had happened a few times in the past, so the two men were very wary of William. Both of them had been enslaved by the Tristan Family, and it was Xavier that had set them free. Because of this, they had decided to fight for him in order to repay his kindness.
Before they completely assessed that William was indeed on their side then and only then would they allow Xavier to be in close proximity with him.
Chiffon landed beside William. When she saw her Big Brother get repelled by an invisible attack, she also stopped her advance and backed away as well. Fortunately, she reacted in time or else she might have been captured by the two Saints that were working for Xander.
"We will back away for now, but we will return," Xander declared. "Enjoy your short moment of reprieve, little brother. Your luck will not save you forever."
After spouting the lines of a third rate villain, Xander and his lackeys retreated. A variable had appeared on the battlefield and a glance was more than enough to tell them that William was not an ordinary person.
Xander still regretted the fact that he wasn't able to end his brother's life then and there. However he was not too worried.
They had already surrounded Xavier's base, so they were not optimistic about his chances of escaping. In short, the youngest of the two brothers was a cornered rat who had no choice but to bare his fangs and fight to the death.
Since that was the case, it didn't matter if they waited for more reinforcements before they went for the kill. Xander had already waited for more than a year. He could easily wait for a few days as long as his victory was guaranteed.
William sighed as he watched Xander escape. He missed the chance to advance to the next floor due to lack of information. He didn't know if Oogwei didn't tell him on purpose, or if the little turtle had forgotten about the artifacts that protected the two brothers from outside interference.
Chapter 582: We'll See Who Will Have The Last Laugh
Oogwei ate its cucumbers with a satisfied expression on its face. Seated beside it was Xod, the Guardian of the Floor of Beginnings, and Yves, the Guardian of the Floor of Partings.
"It's good that you didn't tell him about the artifact," Yves said with a smile.
"Why should I?" Oogwei asked in an innocent tone. "That is already outside of my jurisdiction. I already gave him enough information about your floor. That in itself is already pushing the rules."
Xod and Yves nodded their heads. There was an unwritten rule between the Guardians of the Tower. None of them would actively get in the way of each other's business.
"Still, I have a feeling that the feud in your floor is about to end," Xod commented. It then grinned evilly because even if William were to succeed in helping Xavier become the Patriarch of the Tristan Family, the Half-Elf would still need to undertake Yves' trial to go to the 10th Floor.
Since William and Chiffon were a pair, one of them had to stay behind. This was the rule in Yves' domain and this rule had existed since the tower arrived in the World of Hestia.
Xod, Oogwei, and Yves were curious about who among the two would advance, and who would be the one who would be left behind.
"Do the two of you want to bet?" Xod asked. "Let us all bet this month's salary. Winner takes all."
Yves nodded its head. "Sounds like a plan. I will give you a handicap and allow you to choose first."
The Guardian of the 9th Floor was a Giant Cobra with dark gold scales. Oogwei had many friends in the tower because of the little turtle's chill personality. Yves was one of them. Actually, Yves had asked Oogwei for the favor of bringing some new players to the 9th Floor to help end the battle faster.
It didn't care who among Xander and Xavier would win their fight for supremacy. It just wanted for things to end faster, so it asked its friend Oogwei for help.
The green-skinned Guardian nodded its head. Truth be told, it didn't know if William would leave Chiffon behind. However, it noticed that the little girl was very obedient to the Half-Elf's orders. Because of this, the chances of William climbing the tower
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was higher compared to Chiffon.
"Okay, I'll choose William," Xod said after careful consideration. "He will be the one to climb the tower and leave Chiffon behind."
Yves tongue flicked thrice before replying.
"Very well, I will choose Chiffon," Yves stated. "I will bet this month's salary."
The two Guardians smiled at each other because this was a rare occasion where they had raised the stakes this high. Gambling was a common pastime among the Guardians. Ever since the players failed to capture the 51st Floor, their daily lives had become monotonous.
Sometimes, they would go into hibernation for long periods of time. They would only awaken if something of importance happened in the Domain they supervised. Since each of them was responsible for taking care of a floor in Babylon, they still needed to perform their task when the circumstances called for it.
Each Guardian would receive a salary every month. The currency they received from the tower was not tokens, but Karma Points.
These Karma Points that they received on a monthly basis, would allow them to exchange things from the Karma Shop. the items on the list couldn't be compared to the items that the mortals could exchange using their tokens in the tower.
The difference between the two was like night and day.
Some of the things that the Guardians could exchange from the Karma Shop were habitable planets, on which they would be worshipped as Gods.
They could also buy the right to become a constellation. Once they became one, they could send their spirit to enter the cycle of reincarnation, and live a new life. In these new lives, they would be able to harness the power of their own constellations and wield the power they had in the past.
This was very similar to what happened to Ella. The only problem was that her constellation couldn't be seen in the world of Hestia.
If her constellation was there, she would be able to unleash her full powers, without worrying about her vessel being unable to withstand its backlash.
"Sounds fun," Oogwei interjected after it finished eating its cucumbers. "I will also bet this month's salary."
"Oh? Who would you bet on?" Xod asked with a smile.
Yves also looked at its friend with genuine curiosity.
"Since Xod has bet on William, and Yves chose Chiffon, I'll bet that both of them will proceed to the next floor together," Oogwei said with a smile.
Xod and Yves exchanged a glance before laughing together.
"Hahaha! Okay! Let's go with that! I didn't know that you were so generous." Xod said after it finished laughing. "You planned on giving your Karma Points for free. As one of your friends, I humbly accept your sacrifice."
Yves coiled up and lowered its head to look at its friend. "Oogwei, being wasteful is no good. It's impossible for your bet to happen. No one can disregard the rule of my Domain."
Oogwei grinned. "Just think of it as me raising the prize money for the both of you. Regardless of who wins in the end, my bet still stands."
Xod and Yves exchanged a glance before shaking their heads. They couldn't understand why Oogwei would do such a thing, but since Karma Points were important to them, they would not dissuade the little turtle if it was dead set on joining their bet.
Oogwei looked at the projection in front of it which showed William and Chiffon's actions in real time. The little turtle chuckled internally because it believed its intuition. It was sure that William wouldn't leave Chiffon behind, and Chiffon wouldn't leave without her Big Brother.
Since that was the case, there was only one answer.
'Both of them will climb to the next floor together,' Oogwei mused. It then looked at its two friends with a smirk. 'We'll see who will have the last laugh once this is over.'
Chapter 583: Big Brother Was So Small and Cute
Chiffon's body shook uncontrollably before bolting upright. Sweat formed on her forehead as she panted for breath. She raised her hand and placed it over her chest, to calm her wildly beating heart.
"Chiffon?" William asked. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Due to their current circumstance, William didn't dare to sleep deeply, so he was immediately woken up by Chiffon's sudden movement. At first, he thought that they were under attack. However, after spreading his senses, he didn't detect any threats in their surroundings.
Just to be on the safe side, he asked the System to do a detailed sweep of the area to ensure that they were indeed safe from harm.
"Big Brother." Chiffon buried her head on William's chest as her body shuddered from time to time. Clearly, she still hadn't recovered from the nightmare that she had experienced.
"Don't worry, I'm here," William said softly as he patted Chiffon's head. "You're safe."
A few minutes passed and Chiffon finally regained her calm. She leaned her body on the Half-Elf as if she was seeking whatever warmth and assurance that William could provide her.
Usually, when people had a nightmare, they were afraid to go back to sleep. William understood this, so he firmly hugged the girl in her arms to let her know that she was not alone, and it was going to be alright.
In time, the shivers that plagued the girl stopped, and her breathing had also returned to normal.
The two were currently staying inside the room that was provided to them by Xavier. Although the son of the patriarch offered to give them a room each, William decided to let Chiffon stay with him because although they were siding with Xavier, he still didn't fully trust the man.
Besides, it would be easier to coordinate on the battlefield if Chiffon was with him, rather than away from him.
William looked at the clock on his status page, and saw that it was only three in the morning. They had rested early during the night, so the Half-Elf didn't think that it would be a big deal if they were to not go back to sleep again.
Since that was the case, he decided to ask the little girl what she dreamed about. William hoped that he would be able to give her counsel and assure her that it was only a dream.
"What did you dream about?" William inquired. "Can you tell me?"
Chiffon didn't answer right away. It seemed that recalling her dream was something that she was not too keen to do. Several minutes later, the pink-haired girl looked up at William and told him what she had dreamt about.
"Big Brother, in my dream, someone tried to kill you," Chiffon said. After saying those words, her body shuddered as if the mere thought of it scared her.
William didn't comment and waited
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patiently for Chiffon to tell her everything that happened.
According to the girl, William and her were in this strange dark forest that was covered with snow. The trees were over ten meters tall, and the surroundings looked grim and inhospitable.
At the center of that vast forest, was a mountain that reached high up to the sky. It was so high that Chiffon couldn't see its peak, similar to the Tower of Babylon whose height was immeasurable.
"There are very tall people living inside that forest. They were as tall as the trees," Chiffon said as she moved her hand upwards as if to point out how tall they were.
"I wasn't as tall as them. But, I was still bigger than Big Brother." Chiffon looked at William and her eyes turned into crescents. It was as if her eyes were laughing at him. "Big Brother was so small, and so cute."
William smiled. He noticed the slight curl at the corner of Chiffon's lips, which meant that the girl was feeling happy. Although the pink-haired girl called him small and cute, it didn't matter as long as she was happy.
"Big Brother was injured, so I decided to take you to my favorite place in order to nurse you back to health." Chiffon continued her tale. "The tall people eat humans, and I was afraid that they would eat Big Brother if they discovered you in our land.
"I would visit you from time to time after I scavenged for something edible to eat. That winter was harsh, and there was very scarce food in the forest. Fortunately, Big Brother was small, so he didn't need a lot of food to eat."
William lightly patted Chiffon's head and asked the question that was nagging in his mind. From the beginning, she kept on calling him small, which meant that she was quite big. Now, the question was, how big was she in her dream?
"How tall were you in your dream?" William inquired.
Chiffon pondered for a while as her expression became serious. She was seriously trying to estimate her height in the dream that she had.
"Around five to six meters," Chiffon answered. "I was the smallest in the forest. Everyone was three to four times taller than me."
William smirked. He thought that the girl was very conscious of her height, so he assumed that the dream she had, made her a giant to compensate for her height in real life.
"Big Brother had almost recovered from his injuries, when my hiding place was discovered by one of the giants that roamed the forest." Chiffon's expression became serious when she reached this part of her story. "Big Brother tried to run away, but you couldn't outrun the giant. In the end, you got caught and were about to be eaten.
"That was the scene that I saw when I arrived after scavenging for food. I immediately ran to your rescue, and bit the leg of the giant that was holding you captive."
Chiffon started to pant and William patted her head in order to help her calm down. A few minutes later, she regained her composure. The pink-haired girl wrapped her arms around William and held him tight.
"The giant screamed in pain and released his hold on you," Chiffon said while her head was buried on William's chest. "I was able to catch you, and was about to run away when the giant grabbed hold of my hair. He then grabbed a nearby tree and used it as a wooden club to beat me up."
Chiffon's body shuddered and she started to sob. "In the end, I collapsed and he pried you from my hand. The last scene I saw was the giant putting you inside his mouth. That is the time that I woke up."
William coaxed the sobbing girl and whispered words of assurance in her ear that it was only a dream. After a quarter of an hour, Chiffon's body grew lax as her tears stopped falling. Clearly, her dream had scared her greatly, especially the part when William was about to be eaten by the giant.
"Don't worry," William whispered. "Your Big Brother is so strong that even a giant can't eat me. You should have seen me fight against a Giant Golem and a Phoenix! It was two against one. One was a Pseudo-Demigod, and the other was a Demigod. However, they were no match to me. If I can beat those two weaklings, how can I be eaten by a mere giant?"
William tooted his own horn and bragged about the exploits that he didn't do. However, his bragging had achieved its intended effect. Chiffon, stared at him wide-eyed as the Half-Elf spun a tale of epic proportions.
A tale where he single handedly fought an army of Elves, using his bare fists.
Chapter 584: Big Brother, Do Not Resist
After telling Chiffon about his overwhelming victory against the Elves, the little girl found herself dozing back to sleep.
William then laid her back on the bed and held her tight. In order to prevent any bad dreams from plaguing her, he decided to use his Incubus Job Class, and used his Dreamwalker skill to enter her dream.
A few seconds after his skill activated, William found himself staring at a gaping mouth, with rows of yellowing teeth. Clearly, whoever was planning to eat him didn't care for their dental health.
William hurriedly summoned Stormcaller and aimed it at the mouth that was closing down on him.
"Quick Shot War Art, Fourth Form!" William roared. "Grand Bazooka!"
A powerful blast of lightning exploded at the tip of Stormcaller and blasted the Giant's mouth to oblivion.
The Giant uttered a guttural cry of pain before losing its hold on William. The Half-Elf switched his Job Class to Elemental Lord and floated in the air.
According to his estimate, the Giant was only at the peak of the Centennial Rank, so it was something that he could defeat with his current level of power.
(A/N: Even if William switched Job Classes in the dream, his Dream Walker skill will still be active, because it is just a dream.)
After bombarding the giant with several Grand Bazooka's, it finally fell to the ground dead. After killing his foe, William hurriedly ran towards the unconscious, and gravely injured, little giant girl that was lying in the snow.
William felt his heart aching as he gazed at the Giant Chiffon who was in a very sorry state.
"Greater Healing!" William cast the Life Mage's strongest healing spell at his disposal in every part of Chiffon's body.
Even though Chiffon was a "little giant", in her dream, she was still five-meters tall, and had a very high resistance to magic spells. Unfortunately, the effect of healing magic was also lessened due to this attribute.
It took William a quarter of an hour to fully heal the giantess' injuries before she opened her eyes to look at him.
"Big Brother!" Chiffon grabbed William with both hands. "Are you alright?! Are you hurt anywhere?!"
"D-Don't grip me too tight. It hurts," William said in a pained voice, which made Chiffon loosen her grip on him.
William panted for breath as he laid on top of Chiffon's left palm. The pink-haired giant looked at him closely to check his body for injuries. Aside from tears on William's clothes and bruises, the man seemed to be perfectly fine.
It didn't take long for William to notice that his current form was the silver-haired adult William from his dreams. However, he didn't think much of it.
He always had this form whenever he went inside a dream, so he was used to it by now.
"Are you really alright, Big Brother?"
"Yes. Your brother is strong, you know?"
As if
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to prove his point, William used the Greater Healing spell to remove the bruises and other hidden injuries in his body.
After showing Chiffon that he was perfectly fine, the pink-haired-giant placed William on her shoulder, before picking up the pinecones, and snowberries, that she had foraged earlier.
"Let's get out of here, Big Brother," Chiffon said. "It's no longer safe here."
William nodded his head in agreement. He didn't know the place very well, and the Dream World was filled with many uncertainties. There were occasions when he had accompanied Wendy and Ashe in their dreams and they ended up appearing in battlefields, surrounded by enemies.
While the two were eating, William noticed that Chiffon was giving him side-long glances. The giantess would often look at him while eating berries. He clearly felt a chill run down his spine, because the gaze that Chiffon gave him was something very familiar to him.
It was that curious gaze that she would often have, when she looked at something that she had never eaten before.
While William was thinking of these things, Chiffon moved closer to him and picked him up.
"Big Brother, can I have a taste?" Chiffon asked. Her eyes were looking at William with a serious expression. "Just an arm will do. I just want to know what Big Brother tastes like."
Before William could even give a reply, Chiffon had already opened her mouth.
William abruptly opened his eyes. At that exact moment, he felt something soft, and wet on his shoulder.
The sleeping girl beside him was gnawing on his left arm. Although it wasn't painful, and even ticklish, William wasn't able to stop his body from shuddering. The Half-Elf hurriedly backed away in fright.
The reason?
Chiffon was the embodiment of Gluttony. Even in her sleeping state, there was a high chance that she would really bite his arm off if her instinct kicked in.
"Big Brother, do not resist," Chiffon said in her sleep. "Just an arm is fine. I promise I won't eat your other body parts… maybe."
The corner of William's lips twitched. He then approached the sleeping girl and lightly pinched her cheeks.
"You dare eat your Big Brother?" William snorted. "See how I punish you later when you wake up. I won't be giving you any lollipops anytime soon!"
Chiffon's nose wrinkled and her eyes trembled. It was as if William's threats had reached her in the Dreamworld. She no longer said anything about eating his arm, or any of his body parts. Instead, she slept peacefully as if everything that happened was just an illusion.
William sighed and laid two feet away from the sleeping glutton. He didn't dare lay beside her, while Chiffon was still in her dreamstate. It was better to be safe than sorry. For now, William thought of ways to prevent the same thing from happening again.
He often slept beside Chiffon, and had already gotten used to hugging her to sleep. The girl was also afraid of sleeping alone, because she often had nightmares whenever she slept.
'Maybe this is just a one time thing,' William thought. However, he was still feeling anxious, so he decided to ask the System for advice.
'System, what are the chances of' Chiffon eating me in her sleep?' William inquired. He knew that the system's high-speed calculations would be able to think of different scenarios and possibilities in a matter of seconds.
< The chances of Chiffon eating the host in her sleep is Zero Percent! >
'Um? Why is it Zero Percent? Does that mean I am safe even if I sleep beside her? She won't eat me?'
< Host. Chiffon had already attempted to eat you several times. However, she has always held back at the last second. >
'Hyeok!' William almost choked on his saliva after hearing the System's words. He then pressed the System for an explanation, and the latter showed him footage when Chiffon and him slept together.
As William looked at the recorded images, he saw Chiffon open her mouth several times and attempted to bite him in his sleep. However, those attempts ended midway because the pink-haired girl would subconsciously halt her action when her lips touched William's body.
At most, she would just lean her lips on William's clothes, and her drool would wash over him. After seeing this scene, William now understood why there were times when he would wake up in the morning, with his clothes drenched in Chiffon's saliva.
He thought that this was a normal thing because even he would drool from time to time when he was asleep. William wasn't expecting that those drool-stained clothes were evidence that the sleeping girl beside him had attempted to take a bite of him during his sleep.
Chapter 585: As Long As You Promise Not To Eat Me
When Chiffon woke up, she found herself sleeping alone in the bed.
Instantly, her drowsiness vanished as she sat upright and scanned the room. She was about to get out of bed when the door opened, revealing William holding a tray of pancakes, and a bottle of honey.
"Good morning," William said with a smile.
Chiffon sighed a relief in her heart when she saw her Big Brother. After having that kind of dream, the last thing she wanted was to wake up all alone in their room.
"Good morning, Big Brother," Chiffon replied. "Sorry, I overslept."
William placed the tray on the small table beside the bed and motioned for Chiffon to join him for breakfast.
"It's fine." William busied himself in placing three pancakes on Chiffon's plate and topping with a generous serving of honey. "Girls need their beauty sleep. Also, you need to be properly rested since we don't know when the enemy is going to attack."
Chiffon nodded her head as she sat facing William.
"Thank you, Big Brother."
"For what?"
"For always taking care of me," Chiffon answered. "I'm glad to have Big Brother in my life."
William smirked, "Well, as long as you promise not to eat me, I will ensure that you won't get hungry again. Go on. Eat while the pancakes are still hot."
The Half-Elf said this as a joke, but for Chiffon, it had a different meaning. The pink-haired girl looked at her Big Brother as if she was finding it hard to make that promise.
William didn't notice that Chiffon unconsciously gulped as she stared in his direction. The Half-Elf was so busy lathering his pancakes with honey that he didn't catch the look of regret on Chiffon's face, which only lasted for a brief moment.
"Um? What's wrong?" William asked as he glanced at the girl who still hadn't started eating. "Do you want more pancakes?"
"N-No," Chiffon stuttered. She almost bit her tongue because her thoughts had wandered to a scene that she saw in her dream. A scene where she took a bite of William… and nearly succeeded.
After breakfast, William took Chiffon to where Xavier and his officers were having a discussion about how to escape the encirclement of Xander's forces.
"I say we all focus on one side to break through their encirclement," one of the Saints proposed. "Or, we can choose to use the secret passages and pray that nothing is waiting for us on the other
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side."
"The escape routes are already compromised," the other Saint commented. "That traitorous Randy has already sold us out. I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance."
Xavier sighed after hearing the name of one of his trusted subordinates. He didn't know what methods Xander used to make Randy work for him, but the man's betrayal had led to their current circumstances.
Randy had guided Xander and his troops to their hiding place, effectively cornering Xavier and his allies with nowhere else to go.
Seeing that the meeting was going nowhere, William left the conference room with Chiffon in tow.
'I guess I'll finish what I started yesterday,' William thought as he equipped his Runemaster Job Class.
William had placed several landmines within Xavier's base in preparation for a head-on battle with Xander and his troops. He had set them all on standby, so anyone that stepped on them wouldn't trigger them and cause an explosion.
The last thing he wanted to happen was to have friendly fire between allies, before the battle between the two brothers even started.
This was the only thing he could do for now, and he planned to do it well.
Chiffon didn't do anything special, and followed William around while licking a lollipop. For her, it didn't matter which side won. As long as she could climb the tower alongside William.
The pink-haired girl had developed an unwavering trust in the Half-Elf, who had extended his hand to bring her out of her suffering. The only thing she could think of to repay his kindness was to protect him from any kind of harm.
Chiffon wouldn't think twice about devouring anyone that would dare to hurt her Big Brother in front of her.
William was not aware of what Chiffon was thinking. For him, the one that needed protection was not him, but Chiffon. He had seen how the pink-haired girl fought in close combat. Although she was quite proficient in a melee fight, William still worried that she was still inexperienced in fighting against strong opponents.
Although William had seen Chiffon devour an entire floor in the Dungeon of Atlantis, he thought that the incident only transpired because the little girl had lost control of her powers.
What he didn't know was that Chiffon was capable of using this ability in battle as well. If not for the fact that she didn't want William to be repulsed by her actions, she might have already devoured the bad men that they had fought a day ago.
Right now, the last thing that Chiffon wanted was for William to hate her. She would rather keep this ability of hers a secret, and fight with her fists, rather than being left alone, like what happened when she was still living in the Demonic Continent.
Two hours passed before William finally finished laying down the traps in every nook and cranny that he could find. Right now, if he willed it, it was possible for him to detonate the entire base, causing a collapse that could bury anyone inside it.
Seeing that William had stopped making hand seals, Chiffon raised her head and tugged at his arm.
"Big Brother, are you done?"
"Yes. Let's go back and see if they finally finished their meeting."
"Un!"
Just as William and Chiffon were about to return to the conference room, a loud ringing sound spread across the entire base.
William grabbed Chiffon's hand, and the two ran as fast as they could, in order to meet up with Xavier and his men.
All of them had anticipated that Xander wouldn't wait too long before commencing his attack. Fortunately, the Half-Elf had already finished his preparations, but he had no intention of activating his traps right away.
He would allow Xander and his men to infiltrate the base first. That way, they would not be too wary of the traps that he had set. William wanted to activate the bombs at a crucial moment in order to create an opportunity to capture Xander, and let Xavier put an end to his misery.
Chapter 586: I Guess I Will Have To Do This The Hard Way
"Finally, the time has come," Xander muttered as he gazed at his army that numbered in the tens of thousands.
Several officers and high-ranking members of the Main and Branch Families of the Tristan Clan had come to support him in this war against his brother. These people were those who wanted to keep the tradition that had been passed down from generation to generation.
Slave Trading was a very profitable business, and the 9th Floor was one of the floors that freely engaged in this kind of trade. As rulers of a floor, they were allowed to bring anyone directly to their floor, without having to undergo the trial of Babylon.
This was a special privilege awarded to them, but only members of the main family were given this ability. This was why Xander often descended to the City of Babylon, to pick up the slaves that his men had captured while touring the nearby towns and cities near the Tower of Babylon.
Xavier hated this practice so he rose up and rebelled against the family, which had led to the feud within the Floor of Partings.
The current Patriarch of the Tristan Clan was bedridden. However, he was aware of the current strife that was happening between his sons. Even though he knew it, he was powerless against it.
In the end, he had issued a decree that whoever among his sons would win over the other, the position of Patriarch would be his. He even made a contract, with the Floor Guardian, Yves, that whoever side won, the Main and Branch families had no choice but to support the victor.
Anyone who refused to do so would be expelled from the tower, never to set foot in it again.
With such a heavy penalty in place, the Family was forced to split, and thus the war of succession began.
Right now, Xander had more people under his command, which put him at a great advantage.
Several Mercenary Groups, and players, whom Xander had promised rich rewards also accompanied him to battle. Those who lived in the tower knew that being under the good graces of the ruling families would only bring them riches and a life filled with comfort.
For such a life, they would do everything in their power to get the ruler's recognition.
"Young Master, you don't have to fight alongside our vanguards in this battle," one of the High-Rankers standing by his side said with a serious expression. "There is a possibility that your brother had laid out traps in order to thin out our numbers. We will just wait here until your brother has been captured by our men."
(A/N: In case you have forgotten, High Rankers are equivalent to Saints.)
Xander pondered for a bit before
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shaking his head.
"No. I want to personally be there to kill my brother," Xander replied. "My brother has the luck of a devil, so there is a chance that he might be able to escape with his life. However, don't worry. I will stay at the rear and advance according to our strategy."
The two High-Rankers glanced at each other before nodding their heads. As long as they stayed beside Xander, they were sure that he would be safe from harm.
——
Inside Xavier's Base…
William frowned because he suddenly felt that the connection between him and his Thousand Beast Domain had been blocked.
In order to test this theory, he tried to summon B1, and B2, but none of them appeared before him.
'System, do you know what's happening? I can't summon my Herd, or King's Legion from the Thousand Beast Domain.'
< Please wait a moment while I try to identify the cause of this problem. >
While William waited for the System's response, the first wave of fighters had already infiltrated the base. The Defenders bombarded the invaders with projectiles, and spells that greatly decreased their rate of advance.
William unleashed one spell after the other, while Chiffon stood beside him. The pink-haired girl had already equipped her gauntlets, and acted as William's bodyguard.
Slowly, but surely, the defenders were being pushed back by their enemy who greatly outnumbered them four to one.
Several minutes passed before the System notified William about the problem in regards to his connection with the Thousand Beast Domain.
< Host, it seems that the Law of this Floor has been changed. After spending a Hundred God Points, I found out that any means of summoning foreign aid was disabled on this floor. Only those that have arrived on this floor and its inhabitants were allowed to fight against each other. >
William frowned and thought that the Guardian of the 9th Floor, Yves, might have known about his ability to summon reinforcements to aid him in battle. Since it was the administrator of the Floor of Partings, it had the ability to change the Laws of his domain, and make the battles more fair for everyone.
'Let me get this straight. I am not allowed to send anyone out, but can I send people inside my Thousand Beast Domain?'
< Theoretically yes. However, it's like a one way portal. You can only send them in, but you will be unable to send them out. I'm guessing that this effect will expire once we advance to the next floor. For now, Host is unable to summon your forces from the Thousand Beast Domain to fight for you. >
'Understood.' William nodded his head. 'I guess I will have to do this the hard way.'
Half an hour passed and Xavier grit his teeth in frustration. They had already retreated as far as they could go. Seeing that the only path for them was to go forward, he rallied his men and prepared to charge through.
However, before he could do that, a series of explosions resounded across the base. Screams of pain reverberated around them as William activated the landmines that he had planted all over the place.
The Invaders momentarily lost the momentum of their advance, and the Defenders didn't miss this opportunity for a counter attack.
While the battle was ongoing, several Guardians inside the Hall of Guardians were also watching the fight with interest. For them, wars inside the Tower of Babylon were a great way to relieve their boredom.
Some of them even started placing bets on who would win between the two brothers.
Xod was the one that told Yves about William's ability to summon creatures to fight for his side. He still held a grudge against William for tricking him about the rarity of the Goblin Paladin. He had suffered a great loss during their negotiation, and he wanted the Half-Elf to pay for his transgression.
Yves readily changed the settings of his Domain because an army that numbered in the millions would break the balance of the war that was currently being waged between the two brothers.
This was not the first time that the Guardians of Babylon had witnessed something like that. More than twenty years ago, a man that went by the name Maxwell had also attempted to climb the tower.
He left a great impression among the Guardians because Maxwell was able to summon a horde of Beasts to fight for him, making the Trials that they had laid down easier.
After knowing William's abilities, Yves immediately changed the laws of his territory. None of the Guardians of Babylon wanted to see another Dungeon Conqueror, who could use his cheat-like ability to breeze through their challenges once again.
Chapter 587: I Guess I Will Have To Do This The Hard Way [Part 2]
Due to William's nasty surprise, the Invaders found themselves getting mobbed by Xavier and his men who were out for blood.
William and Chiffon stayed a few meters away from him, as they, too, helped in dealing with Xander's seriously injured subordinates. After half an hour, they managed to break through the blockade in front of them. They headed towards the north, where they believed they had less enemies, who were waiting to ambush them.
"Looks like your guess was right, Randy ," Xander said in appreciation. "I will reward you greatly after I take your Ex-Leader's head."
"You honor me with your praise, Your Excellency." Randy bowed respectfully. "I only wish to serve the future Patriarch of the Tristan Clan."
Xavier and his subordinates glared at their ex-comrade, who smiled back at them in contempt. They had trusted the bastard with many of their secrets, so his betrayal was a very bitter pill for them to swallow.
If they only knew that they were raising a snake, they would have definitely cut off its head before it had the chance to bite them from behind.
"Xavier, don't think badly of me," Randy stated. "You don't have the qualities of a Patriarch. You are far too naive. Your ideals are nothing more than daydreams. It will be best if you submit to your Big Brother. His Excellency, Xander, is a benevolent person. I'm sure that he will forgive you for your transgressions."
Xander smirked as he glanced at his little brother whose face had now become beet red due to anger. He had no intention of letting Xavier live. As long as his younger brother was alive, the threat to his reign would continue to exist.
It was better to pull the problem from the root and deter anyone from daring to rebel against his rule, when he became the Patriarch of the Tristan Clan. He would not allow anyone to stand in his way, not even his brother by blood.
"Randy, I swear, even if I die, I will bring you and my brother with me to the afterlife!" Xavier roared as he raised his sword. "Kill!"
""Kill!""
Xavier and his men charged towards Xander's location with fury. They no longer wished to escape with their lives. What they wanted was to bring the two bastards with them to hell.
"Your last struggle is not bad, however, it will not change the end result." Xander snorted. "Kill them all! Leave my Younger Brother to me!"
""Kill!""
The two forces collided and a free for all ensued. The two brothers faced off against each other, while the four high rankers fought not far from them. both sides wanted to win over the other, so the battle was quite intense.
Although the Guardian of the Floor had decreed that only the two brothers could kill each other, that didn't stop their subordinates from helping their chosen leader to get the upper hand.
William was fighting alongside Chiffon and observing the chaotic battlefield. For some reason, he could feel that someone was intently observing him, but he couldn't find that person's location.
'I guess, I'll just have to risk it,' William thought as he ran towards Xavier's and Xander's location. Chiffon also followed suit, because she didn't want to get left behind.
When William was only ten meters away from the two combatants, two powerful presences descended upon him from his left, and right side.
The sound of metal clashing against each other rang in the battlefield as William blocked two swords that were aimed at him using the golden-metallic rod in his possession.
'I knew it.' William cursed internally as he swung Ruyi Jingu Bang to push his attackers away. However, it didn't end there. Five more High-Rankers appeared out of nowhere, and all seven of them attacked William and Chiffon without mercy.
"Where is Byron?" One of the High Rankers that attacked William asked. "Is he dead?"
William ignored the High Ranker because
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he currently had no leeway to reply. He didn't know where these seven Saints came from, but all of them ignored the duel between Xander and Xavier. They focused their attention on William, and seemed to be hell bent on capturing him alive.
"Sweep away all adversaries!" William declared as the golden metallic rod in his hand extended. "Ruyi Jingu Bang!"
All seven High-Rankers had no choice but to defend against the powerful attack that William had unleashed.
William frowned because his opponents were more sturdy than he originally thought they were.
The High-Rankers of the Tower of Babylon were different from the Saints outside of the Tower. They had reached their rank by getting resources from the ruling families, which greatly increased the speed of their cultivation. This allowed them to break through the ranks faster than their counterparts outside the tower.
Not only that, they also possessed powerful weapons, and artifacts that could be exchanged using tokens. The ranks of these weapons fall under the Unique and Legendary Ranks, which allowed them to hold their ground against William's powerful attack.
(A/N: Weapon ranks in ascending order Rare, Unique, Legendary, Myth, Divine.)
"Are you all from the Agnis Family?" William asked.
He couldn't believe that the Agnis Family had these many Saints under their command. If he added Byron, the Saint that he had killed in the Third Floor of Babylon, the Agnis Family had eight Saints under their wing.
They had the military might that was equivalent to one of the Kingdoms in the Central Continent, which made William rethink his understanding of each ruling family's fighting force.
"You should have submitted when you had the chance, boy," another High-Ranker commented. "Working under one of the ruling families of the tower gives great benefits. You were a fool for rejecting the olive branch that the Agnis Patriarch extended to you."
William snorted because he would never lower his head to a Clan that enslaved people and used them to increase their wealth. This was why he chose to side with Xavier, instead of his older brother, because he was against the practice of enslavement in the Floor of Partings.
While William was about to unleash Sun Wukong's special abilities, a scream sounded behind him.
The Half-Elf looked behind him and saw Chiffon being held by two of the Saints that he had fought earlier.
"Bastards! Let her go!" William gritted his teeth. He didn't think that the Saints would stoop so low as to attack a girl that was beneath their rank.
"Big Brother, just beat them up!" Chiffon shouted. "Don't worry about me!"
One of the High-Rankers that held Chiffon snorted and dislocated her right arm. They were expecting her to cry out loud in pain, but Chiffon only bit her lip. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, but she held them back using her willpower.
She had suffered more brutal things in the Demonic Continent, so she was used to pain. Chiffon had learned the art of disconnecting her sense of pain in her body, and converting it to hunger instead.
The reason why tears were forming in her eyes was not because of physical pain, but an emotional one. She felt frustrated that she allowed herself to be taken as hostage in order to make her Big Brother submit to their enemies demands.
"Let her go or else," William stated. He had unleashed his full aura and its pressure made anyone below the rank of Saint in the battlefield gasp for breath.
"Or else what?" One of the High-Rankers holding Chiffon sneered. As if to mock William's attempt to threaten them, he dislocated Chiffon's other arm. Making both arms of the little girl bend in an unnatural angle.
William raised his weapon and slammed it towards Xander who had distanced himself away from Xavier. Ruyi Jingu Bang increased its length, and size, until it was over two hundred meters long, and fifty meters thick.
The Legendary Weapon of the Monkey King smashed towards the ground, creating a dust cloud.
The High-Rankers of the Agnis Family sneered because what William did was useless. Both brothers were protected by the Guardian of the Floor. There was no way that someone could kill them aside from each other.
When the dust cleared, William lifted the golden rod and glanced at the man that he had crushed a while ago.
Xander's clothes were stained with blood, and his right arm was broken. Even so, he was still alive, thanks to the protection of the amulet that he wore.
"What are you waiting for?" William asked Xavier who was looking at his older brother in a daze. "Kill him!"
Originally, William had no intention of using his Heroic Avatar because of its very long cooldown time. However, he was forced to do so because he was fighting against the Saints. This ability only lasted for an hour, so every second was precious.
He couldn't just sit by and let Chiffon be harmed any further by the Two Saints who were currently using her as hostage.
Xavier snapped out of his daze and charged at his Big Brother. This was an opportunity that he couldn't afford to miss.
Seeing that their trading partner was about to be killed, the High-Rankers of the Agnis Family immediately moved to prevent Xavier from killing his Big Brother, whom the Patriarch of their clan, secretly supported in the background.
William snorted and swatted the annoying High-Rankers like flies, preventing them from coming close to the two brothers.
"Stop!" the High-Ranker that was holding Chiffon shouted. "If Xander is killed, we will kill this girl too!"
Before William could give his reply, the pink-haired girl that was being held hostage by the two High-Rankers raised her head.
"The one who is going to die are the two of you," Chiffon said in a cold voice.
A second later, a scene that nobody had expected, including William appeared in front of their eyes. The pink-haired girl's body grew until it was over five meters tall.
Chiffon then opened her mouth like a taotie, and devoured the two men that held her as a hostage a while ago.
A cracking sound reverberated in the battlefield as the Giantess chewed the two Saints inside her mouth with a vengeance. Blood flowed at the corner of her lips, but Chiffon didn't care.
It felt as if time paused completely still, and only resumed the moment she finished eating the two High-Rankers from the Agnis Family.
Chiffon roared and this roar made everyone's hearts tremble. She had entered a berserked state and the Devourers Gauntlets in her hands shone bright red.
Clearly, eating two Saints was not enough to satisfy her craving. Seeing that there were plenty of humans to eat around her, Chiffon hunched her body and lunged towards the nearest man, who would soon become her third victim.
Chapter 588: Nothing Is Permanent. Not Even The End Of The World
A few minutes before Chiffon transformed into a Giant…
"Big Brother, just beat them up!" Chiffon shouted. "Don't worry about me!"
The High-Rankers that held her snorted and dislocated her right arm. The pink-haired girl bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out loud. She immediately disconnected her sense of pain from her consciousness, like she did in the past when her father, brother, and sisters beat her up in the Demonic Continent.
'Why? Must it always be like this?' Chiffon cried internally as the High-Ranker dislocated her right arm.
Although she wasn't feeling any pain, her heart was aching due to the trouble that she had brought upon William. She felt so helpless being used as a hostage against her will.
"Let her go or else," William stated.
Chiffon watched as the Half-Elf, whom she had called her Big Brother, unleashed a powerful Aura that created a shockwave around him. She rarely saw William getting angry, but when he did, it was always about some people trying to hurt her.
"Or else what?" The High-Ranker holding Chiffon sneered and dislocated her left arm.
Chiffon's lips trembled because she could tell that William was about to explode from anger. She was about to tell William to just attack their enemies without worrying about her. However, before she could voice out her thoughts, she found herself standing in a gray world that seemed to be in ruins.
"Child, we finally meet again."
A voice that was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time sounded behind her. Chiffon hurriedly turned around, and saw a lady wearing shining light-weight armor, adorned in silver and gold.
She couldn't see the lady's face because she was wearing a veil. However, Chiffon could somehow tell that the person in front of her was a very beautiful woman.
"Who are you?" Chiffon inquired. "Where am I?"
The lady approached Chiffon until they were only a meter apart from each other.
"Who I am is not important," the lady replied. "I came here to ask you, what is your wish?"
"W-Wish?"
"Yes. A wish. It can be anything. I was supposed to grant this wish many lifetimes ago, but an opportunity never presented itself… until now."
The lady wearing a veil looked down at Chiffon and caressed the side of her face.
"Go on, what is the thing that you want the most in this world?" the lady asked. "I will grant your wish, no matter what it is."
"I want…" Chiffon raised her head and held the lady's clothes. She didn't understand what was going on, but if this lady could grant her wish then she would believe in her words.
"I want to always be by Big Brother's side," Chiffon pleaded. "I want to have the strength to remain
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by Big Brother's side."
The lady giggled. "Very well. I will grant this wish of yours. However, this power that once belonged to you, is very unstable. I will allow you to use it only once, and I will seal it afterwards.
"Do not fret, you will be able to use it again in the future when you finally understand the feelings inside your heart. After all, you will need this power in order to face the person that will once again destroy everything that William holds dear in his heart."
Before Chiffon could ask what the lady meant, the lady's hand that was caressing the side of her face glowed.
In that instant, Chiffon saw herself standing on a chaotic battlefield where Giants, beasts, and men, fought against each other, while the world around them crumbled. The sky fell in pieces from the heavens and the earth collapsed under their feet.
At the center of that battlefield, a Giant holding a flaming sword roared in anger. Facing off against him was a man. A man whom Chiffon knew too well. The only difference was that this man didn't have pointy ears and his hair wasn't red, but white.
The man was swept away during their clash, because the Giant was far too powerful for him to face headon. Before the man could even stand up from the ground, the Giant slashed down with the intention to kill.
Chiffon found herself running, while shouting that man's name. No matter what happens, she couldn't allow the Giant to kill the man in front of her because he was the most important person in her life.
Just as the sword was about to strike the man, a Valkyrie appeared and blocked it using a silver spear that shone in the darkness. Her golden blonde hair fluttered in the breeze, and her fearless eyes, filled with determination, held back the giant's onslaught for a few seconds, before she was swatted away like a rag doll.
The Giant once again posed to strike, but this time, Chiffon had already arrived in front of it. Using her bare hands, she caught the flaming sword that was about to kill the most important person in her life.
Her hands started to blaze, but she never let go of the sword, fearing that everything would be over once she did.
A few seconds later, the flames spread to her arms, and her entire body. It was painful, and she was scared, but the fear of losing him overwhelmed all the fears she had.
"Nothing is permanent," the lady whispered in Chiffon's ears. "Not even the end of the World."
—–
"Stop!" the High-Ranker that was holding Chiffon shouted. "If Xander is killed, we will kill this girl too!"
Chiffon felt like laughing when she heard the man's words. Him? Kill her? How could a puny mortal possibly kill her? Better yet, how could a puny mortal dare to use her as a hostage?
The pink-haired girl found all of this very laughable. Compared to the burning flames that had the power to destroy worlds, this man's threat was the greatest joke she had heard in both her lifetimes.
Chiffon raised her head. She'd had enough of this nonsense. It was time to end this farce.
"The one who is going to die are the two of you," Chiffon said in a voice that was as cold as ice.
Chiffon harnessed the power that laid dormant inside her. Her dislocated arms righted themselves, and her body grew in size. She then opened her mouth wide and devoured the two puny mortals who dared to use her as hostage.
It was time for them to know that they had made a mistake. A grave, and terrible mistake. Chiffon crushed their bodies with her teeth easily, despite the fact that they were wearing armor.
'As expected of trash,' Chiffon thought. 'They taste like trash.'
Chiffon swallowed the two men and set her sights on the person nearest her.
'Not enough,' Chiffon's body moved to follow her bidding. 'I want more… I want more!'
Chiffon laughed as she ran towards her target. She was feeling very hungry. It was as if she hadn't eaten for thousands of years.
Fortunately, there were plenty of people around her. She will eat them first, before setting her sights on her prize.
Out of all the people that were in that God Forsaken Place, Chiffon knew, without a doubt, the most delicious one of them all… was the red-headed teenager, who was looking at her with genuine worry in his eyes.
Chapter 589: Let Me Eat You. I Promise It Won't Hurt
"M-Monster!"
"Giant! Kill her!"
"Kill her first before she kills us!"
Xander's forces focused their attack on Chiffon who had just eaten her third victim.
Naturally, William didn't allow anyone to gang up on her, and swatted anyone that came her way, sending them flying hundreds of meters away.
The Half-Elf didn't want Chiffon to eat humans, because he was afraid that it might cause her lasting harm when she regained her consciousness.
The giantess, on the other hand, didn't know, or care, about William's intentions. In fact, she was getting annoyed that the one she planned to eat for last was getting in her way. After several attempts of trying to seize the puny humans to be eaten, the Giantess became irritated by the Half-Elf that kept on sending her food away from her.
Chiffon grabbed Ruyi Jingu Bang, and threw it away, along with the red-headed teenager that was firmly holding it in his hands.
After dealing with the pest, Chiffon scanned her surroundings and found an injured man lying on the ground. The man was none other than Xander, who suffered from William's earlier attack.
The Giantess chuckled as she unceremoniously picked up the man beside her feet and threw him inside her mouth. Cracking sounds were heard as the pink-haired giantess ate Xander like a potato chip.
After eating her prey, she once again looked for new targets to eat. The ones that had caught her eye were the five High-Rankers that had attacked William earlier. Chiffon didn't like other people stealing her prey (William), so she decided to attack the five High-Rankers who had grouped themselves together.
"Don't be afraid!" one of the High-Rankers shouted. "Don't let her looks fool you! She's only big, but she is not that strong. We can kill her if we fight together!"
What the High-Ranker said was true. Although Chiffon was in her giant form, she wasn't that strong. However, what he didn't know was that the pink-haired giant's red gauntlets weren't just for show.
Heroism activated which increased Chiffon's stats by 50% if she was fighting against someone stronger than her.
Right now, Chiffon's rank was that of a Millennial Beast (Mid). In Human Rankings, she would be a Black Ranked Fighter. This rank was only a level below Saint, but thanks to the Heroism Passive Skill, Chiffon was now a Pseudo-Saint.
But, since her Devour ability had been added to the equation as well, her fighting prowess was akin to a Myriad Beast in
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its initial stages.
Myriad Beasts would always be stronger than Saints. This was the difference between beasts and mortals.
"Young Master, let's go!" one of the High-Rankers protecting Xavier grabbed his arm, dragging him away from the Giantess who was still in her berserked state.
Xavier didn't resist, and allowed himself to be carried away to safety. Inside his heart, he was thankful to Chiffon. Xander was still his brother. Killing him with his own hands would have left a bitter aftertaste.
Fortunately, he no longer needed to do that because Chiffon had already eaten his older brother. This also marked the end in the feud of the Tristan Clan that ruled the Floor of Partings.
The members of the Tristan Family also retreated from the battlefield, leaving the High-Rankers of the Agnis Family to their Fates.
"Chiffon, stop!" William reappeared in the battle field and used Ruyi Jingu Bang to block Chiffon's path. Although he hated the High-Rankers who were tasked to hunt them down, he was more worried about Chiffon's mental state after she regained her consciousness.
The Giantess roared in anger at the Half-Elf who had once again prevented her from eating the trashy rankers that she had set her sight on. In the end, the two fought against each other, with William playing the defensive role, keeping Chiffon at bay.
When the High-Rankers of the Agnis Family saw this, an evil plan appeared in their mind, and that was to attack William while he was busy dealing with Chiffon. That way, the Half-Elf would get injured and would be the one who would be eaten by the Giantess next, since she couldn't tell friend from foe.
As William fought off against Chiffon, the Five Saints activated their weapons and charged at William in every direction. They even chose the time when Chiffon and William exchanged blows, to prevent the Half-Elf from blocking their synchronized attack.
When Chiffon saw this scene, she stopped her attack, and opened her mouth wide. The five High-Rankers found themselves being sucked up inside her gaping mouth.
Screams filled with fear and unwillingness escaped their lips as they closed in on the Giantess' mouth. All of them regretted their decision to backstab William, while he was fighting against Chiffon.
If they had decided to escape and wait until the Giantess had lost her berserked state, there was a higher chance that they would have been able to capture both teenagers. Regret flashed across their eyes before their sight was covered with a row of teeth.
William gritted his teeth when the Saints were eaten in front of him. He didn't attempt to stop Chiffon from eating them because they didn't deserve to live. Also, Chiffon's devour skill was quite powerful.
The moment Chiffon opened her mouth wide, he immediately distanced himself, in fear of being devoured as well.
William had made the right decision. If he was only two seconds late, he might have also been sucked inside Chiffon's mouth and eaten alongside the High Rankers of the Agnis Family.
After eating the pesky High-Rankers, Chiffon's bloodshot eyes focused their gaze on William. Drool flowed at the corner of her lips as she looked at the main dish that she had saved for last.
"Come," Chiffon made a gesture as if she was coaxing a child. "Let me eat you. I promise it won't hurt."
The corner of William's lips twitched when he heard the Giantess' attempt to trick him into becoming her snack. The Half-Elf had no doubt in his mind that the moment he arrived within Chiffon's devouring range, it would be the end for him.
Since that was the case, he summoned a cloud and flew towards the sky, leaving the Giantess on the ground calling out to him.
As someone that had been subjected to Dark Magic since he was young, William knew that Chiffon's berserked state wouldn't last for long. He decided to wait it out until she returned to normal.
He just hoped that when the time arrived, the pink-haired girl whom he had cared for would not be traumatized by the events that had happened while she was in a berserked state.
Chapter 590: I Will Destroy You With All My Might!
Flames surged forth.
It descended from the sky, and bathed the land in a perpetual blaze.
The citizens of Asgard, and the remaining Aesirs fled from their homeland, and went to Ithavllir, for it was the only place that would not be affected by the flames of destruction.
In order to allow them to escape, the bulk of the army of Asgard held back the giants of Jotunheim, along with the giants' allies, in the plains of Asgard, which was now akin to hell.
Odin, Thor, Loki, Heimdall, and several other Gods had already fallen into battle. All that remained was death and destruction.
In the middle of this chaos, several beings were still fighting. One of them was the Giantess Chiffon, who was the smallest of all giants. She was branded a traitor by her race, and yet, she didn't bat an eye as he faced them in battle.
As she held back the flames of destruction with her bare hands, which had now started to burn, Chiffon offered a prayer to whatever God that could hear her.
'Regardless of the price, I will accept it in full,' Chiffon prayed with all of her heart. 'All I ask is a chance. A chance to…'
As the flames ate away her flesh, she heard a soft, yet reassuring whisper that held promise.
"I will grant your wish."
A voice filled with pity reached her ears.
"No matter how many lifetimes it takes, I will grant your wish without fail," the voice assured her. "That's why, go. Show that arrogant God the power of mortals!"
Chiffon smiled. Although her hands, arms, and the rest of her body had started to burn, she didn't feel any kind of pain.
With a powerful roar, she tossed aside the Giant Flaming Blade that was meant to slay her beloved.
She stomped on the ground, and jumped towards the God of Destruction fearlessly.
"In this dark and chaotic night,
Fear grips me with all its fright.
Now that my end is right in sight,
I will destroy you with all my might!"
"Shatter the Void!" Chiffon roared. "Blood Wing Tempest!"
A resounding cry of pain echoed across the blazing battlefield. This was the first time that the God of Destruction had been injured since the start of the battle, and it wouldn't be the last time he would suffer under the hands of the mortals whom he looked down upon with scorn.
—–
Chiffon's eyes fluttered open and found herself in a protective embrace. She raised her head and saw William with his eyes closed. The Half-Elf looked exhausted as if he had just fought a hard battle.
The pink-haired girl then shifted her attention to her surroundings. She didn't want to leave William's embrace because it felt warm and comfortable, so she just turned her head to look around.
Several craters, that extended tens of meters wide, could be seen all around them. With a single glance, Chiffon could tell right away how intense the fighting was.
She tried to recall what happened during the battle, but, no matter how hard she tried, her memory stopped at the part when both of her arms had been dislocated by the two High-Rankers that held her in place.
As if sensing that the girl in his embrace was already awake, William opened his eyes and stared at the little girl who seemed to be deep in thought.
A few hours earlier, he waited for Chiffon's berserked
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state to fade away. However, contrary to his expectations, the Giantess was still very lively, and doing her best to coax William to come down to the ground, so that she could eat him.
Back then, the Heroic Avatar only had ten minutes remaining. William knew that if he still waited until the last minute, there was a high chance that he would end up in Chiffon's stomach, before she regained her sanity.
Using the remaining time afforded to him. William tried to dispel Chiffon's berserked state by fighting against her. Naturally, he only attacked her because he was confident that he could heal her using his Life Mage Job Class.
The two exchanged several blows, and it ended up in a stalemate. William didn't want to use the full power of Ruyi Jingu Bang because he might accidentally kill Chiffon if he wasn't careful. Fortunately, at the last minute, Chiffon's berserked state wore off and she returned to her original size.
William firmly hugged the girl, keeping her close to his chest, as he sat down to rest. He didn't want Xander's subordinates to use this opportunity to take revenge on her, while she was currently unconscious.
Due to William's deterrence, none of them attacked and decided to retreat. Only Xavier and his group remained, but even they had been scared by Chiffon's unexpected transformation.
Because of this, William told them that they should head back to the Residence of the Tristan Family in order to start the succession ceremony.
Xavier agreed with William and took all of his subordinates with him. However, before he left, he left a parting message to William, inviting him to stay and rest in their main residence for a few days.
William accepted the offer and promised to find them after a day or two. This battle had been quite fierce, and he didn't want to challenge the other floors of the Tower right away.
"Does it hurt anywhere?" William asked. "Are you hungry?"
Chiffon tilted her head to the side before reconnecting the sense of pain in her body. The moment she did, a cry out pain escaped her lips, as the pain that she had been oblivious about came back to bite her.
"Don't worry." William smiled as he placed his hand over Chiffon's head. "Heal."
Each time William used his power to heal her, the pain she felt lessened little by little, until it had gone away completely.
"Thank you, Big Brother," Chiffon said softly. "I feel better now. I no longer feel hurt."
"That's good to hear," William replied. At the same time, a red lollipop appeared inside his hand. William focused and stacked the effects of the red lollipop until it had reached its limit.
After that he casually placed it inside his mouth to help him heal his injuries. For some reason, William was unable to heal himself using the power of the Life Mage. He didn't know if this was yet another restriction that the Guardian of the Floor had reinforced in order to make things difficult for him.
Soon, the bruises in William's body disappeared without a trace. Chiffon looked at the lollipop inside William's mouth and gulped.
This action of hers didn't escape William's eyes and the latter hurriedly made a chocolate lollipop, which he unceremoniously unwrapped and placed inside Chiffon's mouth.
Clearly, he was afraid that the pink-haired girl would have a relapse and once again turn into a Giantess that was very fond of eating humans.
Chiffon leaned her head on William's chest as she happily ate her lollipop. Although she wasn't feeling hungry, the delicious chocolate taste had become one of her favorite flavors.
"Big Brother, what happened?" Chiffon asked after a few minutes of silence.
"You don't remember anything?" William asked back.
"No." Chiffon shook her head. "The last thing I remember is having two High-Rankers sneak attack me from behind. They used me as a hostage to make you submit to their demands. That was as far as I can remember. Everything seemed to be covered in a dark haze, and I was hoping that you could tell me what happened to the battle."
William nodded his head in understanding, but deep inside he was sighing in relief. He didn't want Chiffon to remember the things that she did when she was still in her giantess form.
"Alright, I'll tell you about it," William replied.
He then started to narrate everything that happened, except for the fact that the one that had killed Xander and his subordinates had been her.
Chiffon listened seriously as she took them in her memories.
The end of William's tale was about Xavier being able to turn the entire situation around, and came out victorious.
William didn't mention anything about Chiffon turning into a giant and eating people. Instead, he praised Xavier for being able to fight against his Big Brother and deliver a decisive blow that ended the family feud, which had lasted for years.
Chiffon nodded her head in understanding. She trusted William's words completely, so he didn't even question his ridiculous tale of single-handedly fighting against the High-Rankers and beating the crap out of them.
"You're amazing, Big Brother," Chiffon said after William's tale ended. "I wish I had been there to help you."
William chuckled. However, if someone paid attention, they would recognize that William's chuckle was not out of happiness, but out of nervousness.
Clearly, the Half-Elf was still shaken about Chiffon's transformation, and his worry of being eaten by her in her sleep, had increased drastically.