Chapter 1211 Do You Want Me To Love you?
(Disclaimer: Still R-18.)
A few minutes later, William gently kissed Lira's breast, healing the injury that he had caused.
"Care for her," Lira whispered in William's ears before kissing him passionately in the lips. When the kiss ended, she stood up from the bathtub with a mischievous smile. "I will wait for you in the bedroom."
Lira gave her friend a side-long glance before leaving the bathroom. She wanted William to focus only on Ephemera for now, so that she could get his undivided attention later.
The Half-Elf held onto Ephemera's waist and stopped her from moving her hips. The Virtuous Lady of Justice looked at him with a debauched expression on her face, which was far from the dignified lady that stood in front of the army of the Holy Order Of Light.
"You have grown quite impatient, Ephemera," William said as he pulled the beauty close to him. "Did you miss me that much?"
Ephemera averted her gaze and refused to answer the Half-Elf's question. However, William gently held her chin and slowly turned her head to face him.
"Fine, you don't need to answer," William commented. "I'll just interrogate both your upper, and lower lips, until they become honest."
Without another word, William kissed Ephemera's lips. He then inserted his tongue inside her mouth, which caught her by surprise. She had tried to pull her tongue away, but the Half-Elf didn't allow her to do that.
His tongue followed her own, and lightly prodded on it until it was helplessly captured, and tortured lovingly by William's tongue.
When the Half-Elf pulled his mouth back, Ephemera's tongue followed and licked the side of his lips, until William sucked on it, drawing her tongue inside his own mouth.
Three minutes later, Ephemera panted for breath after pulling away from William. She never thought that there were so many types of kissing, and the one she shared with the Half-Elf was something that she had only experienced today.
Of course, this was only natural because William was Ephemera's first man, and she had never kissed a man before in her life.
"Move your hips," William whispered seductively in her ears. "Show me how much you want me."
Instead of answering, Ephemera started to move her hips as she was told. Her movement was still clumsy, showing her inexperience, but for William, the Virtuous Lady's attempt only made his desire burn brighter.
As her first man, he knew more than anyone else that Ephemera now longed for his body, after discovering the pleasures of the flesh. She was like a student who was curious to learn new things, and William was her teacher who held the knowledge she desperately sought for.
"Not bad," William said softly. "Let me take over."
"Yes," Ephemera replied as she leaned her entire body on William's strong, and lean body. Her voluptuous breasts were pressed over his chest, and her hands, wrapped around his neck, waiting desperately for the promise of relief that would sate the burning ache that had now taken complete control of her body.
William, slowly but surely, moved his hips so that he could push his member deep inside Ephemera's forbidden fruit.
With each thrust, she could feel her womb aching for release, but William wasn't in a hurry to give her that relief, making her frustrated.
"Stop bullying me," Ephemera said.
"You're a strong lady," William replied. "How can I possibly bully you?"
New novel ᴄhapters are published on Libread.cᴏm.
"You are bullying me right now."
"That's just your imagination."
Before Ephemera could say anything else, William placed his hand at the back of her head and pulled him close for a deep and passionate kiss.
The kiss immediately silenced Ephera, as her upper, and lower mouths received Wiliam's soft, and gentle attacks, making her feel as if her brain was turning to mush.
"Did you miss me?" William asked as he pulled away from the passionate kiss.
"Yes," Ephemera replied. She could no longer deny that she had missed William since the last time that they were together. "Are you happy now?"
"I am," William answered. "Now, time to give you your reward."
After saying those words, William moved his hips faster, which made the beautiful lady pant for breath.
Although he didn't know if Ephemera liked rough sex, he decided to test the waters, in order to better understand the purple-haired lady who had already submitted to him.
He didn't lie earlier. Unlike Lira, who had made her love known to him, Ephemera hadn't made any declaration that she would devote herself to him. Although the Virtuous Lady of Justice had offered herself willingly to him, that didn't mean that she felt the same way as Lira.
Truth be told, Ephemera didn't know if the feelings she had for William were indeed love. She thought that since Wiliam was her first man, it was only natural for her to feel a strong attraction to him.
Only when the two of them were far apart from each other did she realize that not only had he marked her as his woman, he had also made her feel more conscious of him. Even in her dreams, she would think of him.
When she asked her Patron Goddess about the budding feelings in her heart, the Goddess of Justice only told her that if she wished for it, she would descend to Hestia and tie William up for her, so that she could keep him close to her at all times.
Naturally, Ephemera knew that her Patron Goddess was only joking. Even so, she wanted to confirm her feelings for William. This was why she decided to meet him again, and see whether the feelings she had for him were love, or something else.
"Hey, do you love me?" Ephemera whispered in William's ears when she felt that the Half-Elf was about to reach his limit.
"Do you want me to love you?" William replied as he continued to push deep inside her, sending her closer to ecstasy.
"I do."
"Okay. I'll consider it."
"Thank you," she whispered, missing the second part of what he said.
With one final thrust, the tip of William's member, kissed the entrance of Ephemera's womb before releasing his seed inside her.
The purple-haired beauty's body shuddered as the hot essence filled her up completely, making her feel as if her womb was on fire.
A minute later, she collapsed on William's body, panting for breath.
Now that she had made her feelings known to him, she had hope in her heart that the black-haired teenager would also treat her like Lira, who was slowly, but surely, inching towards William's closed-off heart.
Chapter 1212 l Don't lntend To Leave Any Witnesses Behind
(Disclaimer: Very minor R-18 Scenes. You can read this part without problems.)
"Just as you foretold, the Heir of Darkness did send his army to the City of Alabaster," Lira said with a smirk. "Unfortunately, what waited for him was an empty city, and the full might of the Holy Order of Light and Hestia Academy.
"We placed traps inside the houses, and when Felix's army appeared, the destruction crystals were detonated. If not for the protection of the two Pseudo-Gods in their army, we would have wiped out more than half of their forces… hey! Are you listening?!"
Lira lightly pulled on William's ears, which made the latter pull his fangs out of Ephemera's right breast. A bit of blood streamed down from the wound and made its way down to Ephemera's belly button.
"I'm listening," William replied before licking the blood from Ephemera's chest, and kissed the wound to heal it. "Such a waste."
The Half-Elf licked the trail of blood, making Ephemera's body shudder. Once all traces of blood had been dealt with, he pulled Ephemera's head to his chest, allowing her to rest.
"So, what happened next?" William asked. "Since the Holy Order was there, it meant that the Pseudo-Gods under the Pope's command also made their move, right?"
"Of course," Lira replied with a smug expression on her face. "It was three versus two, so we naturally won the battle."
"Three?"
"Hestia Academy also has one Pseudo-God in their ranks. If not for Ahriman's intervention, we would have definitely crippled the Demon Army. His Avatar was enough to fend off all of our combined attacks, and give Felix and his minions time to return to the portal they opened and escape."
"Interesting," William commented as he stroked Ephemera's head, making the latter close her eyes in contentment. "So, Hestia Academy also had their own Pseudo-God. In total, Felix has Four Pseudo-Gods, The Holy Order has four, and Hestia Academy has one. But, you said Ahriman's Avatar appeared, right? How strong is it?"
Ephemera, who had her eyes closed, lightly caressed William's chest with her right hand before answering his question.
"Very strong," Ephemera answered. "I thought that having one more Pseudo-God would make a difference, but Ahriman's Avatar single-handedly blocked our Pseudo-Gods attacks. If his Avatar can do that much, I don't know what the real body can do once he regains his powers."
Lira nodded her head in agreement. That incident also came as a shock to her. Despite their preparations, they only managed to wipe out a quarter of the Demonic Army, and allow the Heir of Darkness to slip through the net they had prepared for his capture.
"The Pope didn't expect Ahriman to have this kind of Trump Card," Lira stated. "Although we had very little casualties, the fact still remained that we didn't manage to gain the upper hand in that faceoff."
William frowned. He knew that Gods could use avatars to descend, but it carried a lot of restrictions. The Supreme Pontifex of Deus was an avatar of her Goddess, and even she couldn't descend into that avatar and unleash her full powers.
The Primordial Goddess said that the highest power she could unleash in the world of Hestia was only at the peak of the Demigod Rank. More than that and she would receive a backlash, which was something she didn't want to happen.
"I'm sure that Ahriman can't use that Avatar very often," William replied. "I'm sure he has paid a hefty price for it. If my hunch is correct, the Demon Army will pause their plans of expansion until Ahriman has recovered his strength.
"However, you can be sure that the moment they made their move, it means that the God of Darkness and Chaos has gathered enough Divinity to use his Avatar again."
Ephemera and Lira nodded in agreement. Their Pope also said the same thing, so right now, the Alliance was having a high-leveled meeting. Their agenda was whether or not to attack the Demon Army in the Kingdom of Zabia, even though they had to pay countless lives to wipe Felix's army from the Central Continent.
Lira laid down beside William, and rested her head on his shoulder. She then placed her hand over the Obsidian gem on William's chest, and lightly tapped on its surface with her fingers.
"What are your plans?" Lira inquired. "Don't tell me you plan to wait until Felix's Army, the Alliance, as well as the Holy Order of Light, cause mutual destruction against each other before making your move?"
William didn't answer right away, instead he just simply held the two ladies by his side, whose naked bodies were pressed against his own.
"I will wait for a month or two before making my move," William answered. He decided that it would be best to let Lira and Ephemera know that he didn't plan on setting foot on the Central Continent for the time being.
To his surprise, both girls didn't question why he planned to wait for a month or two before taking action. They just simply held unto him, seeking the warmth that was emanating from his body.
"Lira, Ephemera, no matter what happens, don't let Felix catch you," William said as he pulled the two Virtuous Ladies closer to him.
"I won't let him touch me. I only belong to you."
"Don't worry. I'd rather die than let myself be captured by him."
William pinched Ephemera's backside, which made the latter gasp in pain because he didn't approve of what she had in mind.
"Don't say the words die, or dying so casually," William said with a serious expression on his face. "You and Lira still need to help me achieve my goals. Both of you are not allowed to die."
"O-Okay," Ephemera replied after being chastised by the Half-Elf's whose naughty hand had started to squeeze her backside. "I'm sorry."
"Heh~ Even Ephemera knows when to back down," Lira said in a teasing manner. "This is the first time I've seen you compromise."
"Shut up."
"Heh~"
William continued to ask the two girls about the Demon Army, in addition to the general trend of the Central Continent. He also asked about the status of the Alliance, and their plans to counter Felix's ability to send his army anywhere in the continent.
Their talks lasted for an hour, and after that, the two ladies asked William for their reward, which resulted in the three of them spending a whole day inside the Sea-Side Villa.
The next day, William returned to the real world, and bid goodbye to a reluctant Lira and a subdued Ephemera.
"Don't try to contact me," William replied. "I will be the one to initiate the contact, and we will use the safest method to do it."
Lira and Ephemera nodded their heads as they placed their hands over their lower abdomen, where William's crest resided on their bodies. He had marked both of them as his women when he took their chastity, and was using this means to communicate with them.
Just as William was about to leave, he glanced at a certain direction and frowned.
"Come out," William ordered. "Or do you want me to force you to come out?"
"I-I knew it!" a little girl with long-silver hair and blue eyes materialized out of thin air and pointed at Lira and Ephemera in an accusing manner. "You are colluding with this fiend!"
"Cherry?" Lira asked with a frown. "What are you doing here?"
"Hmp! The two of you have been acting suspicious, so I decided to follow the two of you when you left the Palace of Light," Cherry replied. "I'll tell the Pope about this!"
William glanced at Ephemera who had a worried look on her face before asking his question.
"Who is this little girl?" William asked.
Ephemera sighed before answering William's question. "She is Cherry. The youngest of all of the Virtues and she holds the Virtue of Charity. If I remember correctly, she just turned eleven this year."
"Oh?" William shifted his attention back on the little girl whose body had started to disappear from their sights. "She's a bit stupid, isn't she?"
"A bit," Lira replied with a complicated look on her face. "Please, don't hurt her. She's still a child."
William nodded as he waved his hand. "Okay."
A minute later a yelp of pain was heard in the surroundings before the Virtuous Lady of Charity appeared after she was hit in the head by William's Air Bullet.
"Y-You fiend! How dare you hurt me?" Cherry shouted with tears in her eyes. "I'll tell the Pope about you! Wuwuwuwu!"
Lira and Ephemera covered both of their faces with their hands because Cherry was too pitiful to look at. All the Virtues treated the little girl as their little sister, and she had been spoiled by them to the point that she was always protected from getting hurt.
Perhaps, William's attack was the only time she felt true pain in her life, which made the little girl cry like the little girl that she was.
"Should we just silence her?" William asked as dark energy radiated from his body. "I don't intend to leave any witnesses behind."
Cherry immediately backed away in fear, while Lira and Ephemera held onto William, trying to convince him that they should leave the handling of their little sister to them. They were afraid that if they left the little girl in the Half-Elf's hands, she would become a broken doll, deprived of everything she once had in her life.
Chapter 1213 l-l Don't Taste Good.I'm All Bones. l Don't Have Much Meat ln Me
Cherry found herself sitting on a couch with Lira and Ephemera on her left and right side.
William had taken the Virtue of Charity to the Sea-Side Villa, while thinking of how he could prevent the little girl from telling the Pope about his and her sisters' collaboration.
"Will, don't worry, I will look after Cherry and make sure that she doesn't say anything," Lira pleaded. "Isn't that right, Cherry? You will not tell anyone about what you saw, and heard, right?"
"I-I will not tell anyone!" Cherry replied. "I promise."
William smirked after hearing the little girl's answer. In fact, he had already thought of a good way on how to make Cherry shut up, and this method was many times more effective than threatening her.
"B-Big Bad Brother, I don't like the way you look at me," Cherry stuttered. "I-I don't taste good. I'm all bones. I don't have much meat in me."
"Will, don't tell me you're planning to…," Ephemera saw the devilish smile on William's lips and felt her scalp tingle. "C-Cherry is still too young for this. If you do this to her, she will break."
"Don't worry," William replied. "I will not break your precious sister. I'm not a bad person, right Cherry?"
"Y-Yes! You're not a bad person, Big Bad Brother!"
"See?"
Lira and Ephemera had a very strong urge to tie Cherry up, and cover her lips to prevent her from talking. Although they had spoiled her rotten, they didn't think that doing that would also turn her brain rotten.
"Will, this is our mistake," Ephemera said with a serious expression on her face. "We were too careless."
William nodded. "If this little girl became suspicious of your actions then it is safe to say that your other sisters, and perhaps even the Pope, also have their suspicions. Both of you need to be careful the next time you leave the Palace of Light."
Lira and Ephemera hung their heads in shame. They had no rebuttal for William's words, which made them wonder what would happen if the little girl beside them spilled the beans of their meeting with William.
A moment later, the door of the Sea-side Villa open, and the angelic beauty, Princess Aila, appeared in front of everyone.
"Will, you called for me?" Princess Aila inquired before glancing at the ladies that were seated opposite Wiliam's. "Who are they?"
"Aila, I'd like you to keep everything you see in this room a secret," William replied. "These three ladies are the Virtue ladies of Temperance, Charity, and Justice. Lira, Cherry, and Ephemera."
"Hello."
"H-Hi, Big Sister."
"Nice to meet you."
Princess Aila returned their greeting before sitting beside William. She then appraised the three ladies in front of her and immediately noticed that two of them had William's mark on their bodies, with the exception of the little girl between them.
Lira, and Ephemera, were also appraising the angelic beauty beside William. Since the Princess dared to sit beside William, it meant that their relationship was close enough to warrant her action.
Both ladies knew that the black-haired teenager had many women in his entourage, and they both agreed that Princess Aila was indeed worthy of him.
"Aila, you can erase specific memories, right?" William asked.
"Yes," Princess Aila replied. "If the memory is recent then I could erase it easily."
Lira's and Ephemera's faces immediately brightened, while Cherry's expression darkened.
"N-No! I don't want my memory to be erased!" Cherry shouted. "I won't let you!"
The little girl was about to activate her Divinity when she felt a sudden pain at the back of her head. Ephemera had given her a karate chop, which made Cherry's eyes roll up into their sockets as she collapsed, unconscious, on the couch.
"Thank you, Ephemera," William replied before facing Princess Aila. "This little girl witnessed my meeting with Lira and Ephemera. I want you to erase that memory, as well as all memories related to me. Can you do that?"
"I can," Princess Aila replied. "But, what excuse will the two of them make when she wakes up?"
"How about, we found her taking a nap under a tree?" Lira asked.
Ephemera shook her head. "That is too far-fetched. It might backfire on us later."
"Don't worry," Princess Aila interjected. "If it's only taking a nap under a tree, I can tweak her memory to a certain extent. All you need to do is just match your story with hers. Well then, shall I start?"
Princess Aila glanced at William to wait for his permission. The Half-Elf nodded to give her the go signal. The sooner this troublesome girl forgets, the sooner this problem will be solved."
Princess Aila no longer hesitated and kissed Cherry's lips, to access her memories. She planned to eat her memory, just like she did with William's memories about Belle.
A minute later, the angelic Princess pulled back with a smile. "I've taken everything and didn't leave a trace. Even if someone were to forcefully read her memories, they won't be able to extract any information about you."
"That's good," William replied. "Thank you, Aila."
"You're welcome." Princess Aila smiled. She wanted to be useful to William, so she was quite happy to use her expertise for his sake.
After seeing that their little sister was unhurt, Lira and Ephemera were finally able to breathe with relief, and thanked William for his mercy. If the Half-Elf really tried to do something to Cherry, the two of them would feel guilty about it for life.
"Don't thank me yet," William replied. "I'm going to do an experiment."
The black-haired teenger lightly tapped Cherry's forehead. A moment later, a dark mark appeared on its surface.
This mark was very different from the mark that William had placed on Lira's and Ephemera's bodies.
Lira and Ephemera looked at the mark that was similar to those Egyptian Hieroglyphics that resembled an eye. To their surprise, the mark disappeared from Cherry's forehead, leaving nothing behind.
"Good, it worked," William smiled. "With this, I will be able to spy on the movements of the Holy Order from time to time. Perhaps, her appearance was a blessing in disguise. If not for her, I would not be able to have an eye inside the elusive Palace of Light."
Lira and Ephemera glanced at each other with a complicated gaze. They didn't know how effective William's spying ability would be inside the Palace of Light, but with how Cherry usually acted inside it, they were sure that, instead of information about the movements of the Holy Order, all the Half-Elf would gather was gossip.
"Well then, the two of you should return to the Palace of Light," William said before standing up. "Remember my warning. Don't let Felix catch either of you."
"I won't let myself be captured."
"I'll do my best."
After saying their goodbyes, William sent the three Virtuous Ladies out of his Domain. This time, he didn't come with them because he didn't want to take any chances. If someone aside from Cherry had followed them then there was no telling what would happen once word of it came into light.
—--
Somewhere in the Central Continent…
Lira, Ephemera, and the unconscious Cherry appeared on a desolate mountain range, after William had sent them out of his Thousand Beast Domain.
Lira immediately summoned a flying ship, and helped Ephemera carry the unconscious girl inside it. After letting Cherry lie down in a comfortable position, the ship sailed Northwest where the Palace of Light was located.
Because the two were busy taking care of Cherry, they didn't notice that hiding behind a boulder was a little familiar who had followed Cherry outside of the Palace of Light because Celeste was worried about her safety.
"Lira and Ephemera made contact with William…," Claire muttered. "I need to report this to Celeste."
The little fairy glanced in the direction the three ladies had appeared from, before flying Northwards. Although she was tempted to meet her twin sister, Chloee, Claire decided that now was not the time to do so.
'Chloee, be safe,' Claire thought as she flew towards her Master who was waiting for her return. 'For Celeste's sake, and my sake as well.'
Now that the War between the Heir of Darkness, the Alliance, and the Holy Order of Light had reached a turning point, it was only a matter of time before the frail balance of power would be shattered once again.
Chapter 1214 Merit Points lnside William's Domain
A month had passed since Lira, Ephemera, and to a certain extent, Cherry, had met up with William.
Many things had happened since then and among them was the victorious news of the alliance having won against the Demon Army in liberating the Zoterra Empire, which was the first Empire to have fallen into Felix's hands.
The Pope of the Holy Order of Light wasn't stupid. She knew that Ahriman could not interfere as he had with the port city of Alabaster for a short period of time, so she immediately mobilized the army of the Holy Order, alongside the Alliance, and fought a grueling month-long battle with Felix's army.
During this battle, a third of the Demonic Army was wiped out. All of the soldiers of the Zoterra Empire had died in this battle because they had been forced to fight regardless of will. Ahriman had corrupted all of them, so they fought like berserked warriors, which had dealt a devastating blow to the armies of the Alliance.
With this defeat, the Demon Army was forced to retreat to the three kingdoms that were still under their control. The Leaders of the Alliance and the Pope all agreed that they couldn't pursue the Demon Army for the time being due to the number of casualties they had from their last battle.
Now that the Empire of Zoterra had been freed from the Demon's control, the next problem was who would manage it?
Felix had killed all the male heirs of the Royal Family and the Princesses were still in his grasp. Having no leader to take the throne, the Holy Order of Light volunteered to let one of their Inquisitors temporarily manage the affairs of the Empire.
Although the Alliance didn't like this outcome, they were left with no choice but to agree. After all, the Holy Order of Light had Four Pseudo-Gods under its command. It was simply impossible for them to go against their will.
Now that they had finally secured a victory against the Heir of Darkness the morale of their army was at an all time high.
—--
Meanwhile in the Silvermoon Continent…
William watched as the Grim World Spider, which was the final boss of the Emerald Dungeon, turned into ashes in front of him.
After killing the boss, the black-haired teenager entered the dungeon core room and placed his hand over the Dungeon Core. A minute later, the dungeon core turned into particles of light and entered the obsidian gem on William's chest.
'With this, I had claimed twenty dungeons here in the Silvermoon Continent,' William thought. 'Optimus, please handle the rest.'
< Understood. Changing the settings of the Dungeon to Optimal Mode. >
The moment William returned to his Thousand Beast Domain, the Emerald Dungeon re-appeared in one of the areas inside it. All the Dungeons that William had conquered were automatically brought inside his Domain.
Aside from K-City, which had become the capital city of the Thousand Beast Domain, the City of Atlantis could be seen floating in the distance. None of the Demons, Monsters, and ladies in William's entourage, could enter it without William's permission.
The Guardian of the Lost City, Leviathan, would not allow anyone to enter, unless the Half-Elf was with them.
Because of this, the citizens could only admire the crystal-like city in the distance that faintly shone under the sunlight.
The black-haired teenager went to K-City to have a change of pace and wandered randomly along the streets of the city. All the Demons who saw him bowed their heads and greeted him respectfully, which he returned with a brief nod, and told them to continue whatever they were doing.
William had already gotten used to being venerated by the Demonic Clans that he had taken under his wing. For them, the Thousand Beast Domain was like paradise. They didn't have to constantly be on their toes, fearing that they would be attacked by the other Demon Clans for whatever reason striked their fancy.
They also didn't lack food, because the Thousand Beast Domain provided them with plenty of things to eat. Although they couldn't attack the Beasts living inside it, they could hunt fish, plant crops, forage for fruits, and participate in the construction of K-City, allowing them to earn Merit Points that they could exchange for things that they've never had before like a box of chocolates, coffee beans, and even modern clothing.
When he visited the Theme Park, he saw many Demon children riding the different attractions with big smiles on their faces. This was another method of using the Merit Point System. Unlike the ladies that served the black-haired teenagers, the Demons had to use Merit Points to purchase tickets, before they could access the rides.F
This was one of Optimus' ideas to allow the Demons to enjoy a different type of entertainment, aside from the constant wars that they had fought in the past.
"Ah!" Invidia gasped when she saw William. Instead of running away, the green-haired approached him while snacking on some cotton candy she bought just a few minutes ago.
"Are you looking for me?" Invidia asked. "Do you need my blood?"
"No," William replied. "Just taking a stroll."
"I see." Invidia had a look of disappointment on her face after hearing William's answer. Originally, she had been afraid whenever the Half-Elf would call for her whenever he wanted to drink her blood.
She had been a victim of how pleasurable the feeling was, and William used that to take advantage of her and drink her milk when she had taken Ella's form. However, ever since the two of them had talked things out, they came to an agreement that the Half-Elf couldn't force her to change her appearance, while she fed him her blood.
In return of Invidia's services, the black-haired teenager generously awarded her with Merit Points. At first, the green-haired beauty didn't know what she would do with them, but after hanging out in K-City with Medusa, she realized how important this currency was.
She was able to buy snacks, play games inside the Theme Park, dine inside cafes, as well as buy fashionable clothes, which had become the trend within the Demonic ladies inside the Thousand Beast Domain.
"Do you want some milk then?" Invidia asked with a hint of embarrassment on her face. "Only for the affordable price of ten thousand merit points."
"Okay. let's do it tonight after dinner."
"Great! I will finally be able to buy those clothes from Vickie's Secret."
William smirked after hearing Invidia's words. The tomboyish lady who had conflicts with him in the past was now gone. Instead, a lady who had become addicted to the modern comforts of K-City now volunteered to supply him with the drink that allowed himself to regain the feelings he had lost in the past.
"So, you're here, Invidia," Superbia appeared while holding two sticks of Jumbo Hotdogs in her hands. Just like her friend, she had become fond of the things that could be found in K-City, and would often help do a few tasks that allowed her to earn Merit Points as well.
She was quite envious of Invidia because the latter could easily gather Merit Points in the Thousands just by letting Wiliam drink her blood, and changing her appearance to go out on pretend dates with him, while impersonating Ella.
Of course, Superbia had become one of the ladies that supplied William with blood on a regular basis as well. Her reason for doing so was the same reason as everyone inside the Thousand Beast Domain, and that was by accumulating enough Merit Points to purchase whatever she wanted.
She had also been a big help in clearing some of the dungeons that William had conquered. This allowed her to rack up points, which had gone down the drain after playing in the arcade, and buying stuffed toys, which greatly surprised everyone, including her best friend Invidia.
"Will, have you finished conquering the Emerald Dungeon?" Superbia asked.
William nodded. "Just finished it half an hour ago."
"Just call me if you need help clearing the dungeons. I am free at the moment."
"Noted. I'll keep that in mind."
After having some small talk with the two Sinful Ladies that had already adapted inside his Domain, the Half-Elf returned to his Villa to rest.
He was quite happy to see the progress that was happening inside his Domain, and looked forward to what it would become once his battle with Felix was over.
Chapter 1215 Turning The Tables On Felix,As Well As The Holy Order Of Light
"Welcome back, Master," Charmaine said with a smile. "Do you want some refreshments?"
"I'd love that," William replied. "Thank you, Charmaine."
Charmaine smiled sweetly as she went to the kitchen to prepare some refreshments for the Half-Elf who had spent a day capturing a dungeon by himself.
William laid on the couch and covered his eyes with his hand. He knew that he already had the strongest faction in the world, but he didn't like to take chances. This was why he decided to use his two-month break to continuously capture the Dungeons in the Silvermoon Continent.
He didn't care if the Dungeon was a low-ranked one or a high-ranked one, as long as it was a Dungeon.
There was one more Forbidden Ground in the Silvermoon Continent, but William had reached the maximum limit of Pseudo-Gods that he could contract with the strength of his soul. He knew that biting off more than he could chew would ruin everything he had built, so he didn't plan to add more Pseudo-Gods to his lineup.
Just as the Half-Elf was about to doze off, he felt something soft snuggle up to him, but it was not alone.
William subconsciously patted the head of the little Gorgon, Medusa, who would often snuggle up to him during his afternoon naps.
"Hehehe," Medusa giggled a bit before making herself comfortable. Soon, she dozed off just like a little girl who had been playing outside too much.
Naturally, the golden piglet, Gullinbursti, and the noisy mace, Sharur, always accompanied her. These three creatures all leaned on his body, like spoiled kids who wanted his attention.
The Half-Elf knew that this was their coping mechanism for the loss of his wife, Chiffon. The three of them would always accompany the pink-haired girl everywhere. Without her, the three just spent their days doing things to distract themselves from the pain of losing their Master.
When Charmaine returned, the corner of her twitched after seeing that the little gorgon, the golden piglet, as well as the talking mace, had destroyed her chance to talk to William in private.
In the end, she could only sigh before placing the tray of food in her hands on the table. The next thing that the pretty elf did was carry the glass of fruit juice and placed the straw near William's lips.
After the Half-Elf drank his fill, Charmaine spoonfed Wiliam with the cake that she had personally baked for him. After learning the joys of using an electric oven, the pretty Elf studied all the recipes that were available in K-City and baked to her heart's content.
"This is delicious," William said with a smile. "You have outdone yourself, Charmaine. Well done."
"Thank you, Master," Charmaine replied. "I still have more in the kitchen, so eat as much as you like."
The Half-Elf nodded his head as he allowed himself to be spoon fed by the pretty Elf that had devoted herself to his well-being.
Two hours later, the three troublemakers woke up and were lured away by the smell of Charmaine's cakes, leaving William alone.
Looking at the three figures disappearing from his vision, the Half-Elf could only shake his head helplessly before closing his eyes. He then activated the mark that he had placed on Cherry's forehead, which allowed him to see what she was seeing.
This magic was quite special because it was a hybrid spell that he had made with the help of Optimus. The System could place a tracker on anyone and allow the two of them to monitor their surroundings.F
This allowed William to see, hear, and to a certain extent, feel what they were feeling. The other stats like body temperature, heart rate, brain waves, and similar high-end data was being monitored by Optimus, allowing him to constantly monitor the little girl, who represented the Virtue of Charity.
As soon as William had opened his connection with Cherry, he found himself standing inside the conference room inside the Palace of Light. This was not the first time he had seen this place because he had been looking through the little girl's vision for the past month.
"After discussing with the Rulers of the various kingdoms, and empires, the plan to attack one of the Kingdoms under Felix's control is going to start in about a week," the Pope said with a serious expression on her face. "As usual, you girls will be at the center of the formation, and ensure that any tricks from the Demon Army will be thwarted at a moment's notice.
"Two of the Pseudo-Gods will always be by your side for added protection, while the remaining two will be on the front lines. The Heir of Darkness is now like a cornered rat, but if we push him too far, he will certainly bite back. Because of this, we didn't plan a complete eradication of his army. We will just annex the Slovell Kingdom, and make him understand his place."
Audrey, the Virtue of Fortitude, whom William had allowed to escape months ago raised her hand to voice out her opinion.
"Speak, Audrey." The Pope nodded her head to acknowledge her concern.
"I think this is a risky move," Audrey stated. "But, I also understand that we shouldn't just sit idly while the morale of the army is high. However, we must take necessary precautions just in case the Heir of Darkness had other tricks up his sleeve."
The Pope smiled because she also agreed with Audrey's concern. During the battle at the CIty of Alabaster, she had thought that they would finally be able to put an end to Felix's terror. However, just before they could capture the Demon Prince, Ahriman's Avatar appeared on the battlefield and thwarted their attempt.
"Don't worry, we will use the Celestial Raiments in this operation," the Pope replied. "However, you are only allowed to use it when your lives are in danger. It doesn't matter how many soldiers the Alliance loses. Their lives can't be compared to the lives of the seven of you. The moment something unusual happens, you have the permission to activate the Celestial Raiments, and allow your Patron Gods to descend and temporarily possess your bodies."
William who was listening to the discussion frowned. This was the first time he heard about the Celestial Raiments, which allowed the Gods of the Seven Virtues to descend on Hestia and possess their chosen ones.
'If Lira, Ephemera, and Audrey had this Celestial Raiment back then, the possibility of me being captured by them is high,' William thought. 'Since they didn't use it, there must be some kind of restriction for it. Do the Seven Deadly Sins have the same ability as well? I better ask Lilith, Invidia, and Superbia later.'
For William, a God appearing in Hestia, even if it was only temporary, could have a great impact on the outcome of the battle. Fortunately, he was now aware that such an artifact existed. A part of him was quite tempted to steal the Celestial Raiment and give it to one of the Sins, to allow them to call for their Patron Goddesses to support them in battle.
'Placing the mark on Cherry was definitely a good idea,' William mused. 'The next time Ephemera and Lira have the chance to visit me, I'll make sure to place the same mark on their bodies. That way, I will have more options when it comes to spying in the inner workings of the Holy Order of Light.'
William knew that, sooner or later, he, the Alliance, and the Holy Order of Light, were bound to face each other on the battlefield. What he was doing right now was learning as much as he could about his enemy before that time came.
That way, he would be able to counter the Trump Cards they had prepared for him, like the Celestial Raiment.
'As expected, defeating an organization that has existed in Hestia for thousands of years will not be easy,' William thought with a smile. 'Even so, as long as I play my cards right, it will not be impossible to turn the tables on them and steal the treasures they have in their possessions.'
As the meeting progressed, William decided to play a more active role in the battle that was about to start in a week's time.
This way, he could strike a blow not only to Felix, but to the Holy Order of Light, whose plan for Dominion was plain for everyone to see.
Chapter 1216 Fast And Furious Sets The Pace
On the borders of the Slovell Kingdom, the armies of the Alliance and the Holy Order of Light gathered.
"If Ahriman doesn't show up, this battle is as good as ours," the Headmaster of Hestia Academy, Byron, said with a solemn look on his face.
"Well, I don't really mind if he shows up," the Pope commented. "If he does then we will just retreat. He can't conjure an avatar whenever he wants because it will weaken him, and further delay his freedom."
"You really treat the army of the alliance as cannon fodder, don't you?"
"Of course not. We exist for the greater good. That has been our purpose since the Holy Order of Light was founded thousands of years ago."
Byron gave the Pope a side-long glance before sighing internally. Although the Pope didn't want to admit it, everyone could tell what she was planning. Even so, the leaders of the Alliance chose to turn a blind eye to it.
Right now, the Pope and her Holy Order was the lesser evil. It was nothing compared to the threat of the Demon Army, and the God of Darkness and Chaos, who had already trespassed into their backyard.
'I just hope nothing unexpected happens,' Byron thought. 'Many will die if Ahriman makes his appearance today.'
As Byron was thinking of the worst case scenario, the horns of battle reverberated in the surroundings.
The flying ships of the Holy Order of Light advanced, while the armies of the Alliance marched on the ground.
They knew that the Soldiers of the Slovell Kingdom had already been corrupted, so they had no choice but to fight whether they liked it or not. Their previous battle in the Zoterra Empire had made them realize that the Human Soldiers that had been corrupted would fight to the bitter end, and take as many members of the Alliance with them before they drew their last breath.
Armies hated this kind of opponents because they didn't care whether they lived or died. Facing them left a bitter aftertaste in everyone's mouth, but this was how this war was fought, and the only thing they could do was adapt to the strategy of their enemy.
"They're here," Byron said as soon as he noticed two figures appearing on the battlefield. "Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan."
"About time," the Pope replied. "Your Excellencies, please, keep them company."
Three Pseudo-Gods that belonged to the Order of Light flew towards the two strongest members of Felix's army and engaged them in battle.
The Seven Virtues who were located at the center of the battle formation looked at this scene with calm expressions on their faces.
Each of the Virtuous Ladies were riding on a different flying ship, and the flag that represented their virtues fluttered in the breeze.
Their presence was giving the soldiers significant boosts in their strength because of the buffs that were coming from the seven ladies, allowing them to be more proficient when fighting against opponents that were below the rank of Myriad Beasts.
As the battle reached a critical stage, Byron noticed that the movements of the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan looked suspicious.
"It was as if they are luring the three Pseudo-Gods away from the main battlefield…," Byron muttered.
Then it suddenly hit him. Even the Pope who was standing by the side realized that the Headmaster of Hestia Academy was right.
However, before she could order the three Pseudo-Gods to return, a scream was heard at the center of the battle formation.
"You guys were too careless," the Six-Eared Macaque, who usually stayed beside Eve to protect her, said as he held two uncoscious ladies in his arms. "I'll be taking these two with me."
Without another word, the Six-Eared Macaque who had taken Sun Wukong's appearance, somersaulted in the air, before making a beeline towards the Slovell Fortress.
In his arms were the Virtuous Ladies of Prudence (Shana) and of Faith (Melody).
Ahriman told Felix that, in order to weaken the Holy Order of Light, he must capture at least two members of the Seven Virtues. By doing so, it will give a devastating blow to the Alliance once these Virtuous Ladies had been corrupted by the power of darkness, increasing Felix's strength.
"No!" the Pope shouted. "Save them!"
The three Pseudo-Gods that were fighting against the Bull Demon King, and Princess Iron Fan immediately turned to pursue the Six-Eared Macaque. However, the slippery monkey was very hard to catch.
The Monkey that always imitated Sun Wukong specialized in running away, and even the Monkey King himself found it quite hard to catch him.
Seeing that they were unable to catch their target in a short period of time, the three Pseudo-Gods became furious and annihilated the Demonic Army in their path.
They didn't dare use long range attacks to attack the Six-Eared Macaque because they might hit the two ladies that were both being used as shields, in addition to being held hostage by the mischievous monkey who only took action when there was a high chance of success.
"Fast and furious sets the pace," the Six-Eared Macaque said in a teasing tone. "Even if the three of you worked together, I will still win this race."
As if proving his point, his speed increased once again, allowing him to leave the three Pseudo-Gods in the dust, until he disappeared from their sights.
Seeing that their two targets had been secured, the Bull Demon King, as well as Princess Iron Fan unleashed powerful attacks that would annihilate as many members of the Alliance as possible.
However, their plan was stopped when the Pseudo-God that belonged to Hestia Academy stepped in to block their attacks.
While this was happening, the Six-Eared Macaque was feeling giddy as he glanced behind him.
"Hah! Bunch of wimps, can't even catch me," the Six-Eared Macaque chuckled as he continued to run. "Still, I pity these two ladies. Once I deliver them to Felix, they will suffer a fate worse than death. I almost feel sorry for them… Well, almost! Hahaha!"
The Six-Eared Macaque knew that there were only two outcomes to the war. Either their side becomes victorious, or their side becomes the losers. He didn't want to become a loser, because he had been a loser almost his entire life.
Now that there was a chance to change his fate, he decided to grab the opportunity to ingratiate himself with the Primordial God of Darkness and Chaos, and become one of his retainers.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," the Six-Eared Macaque said. "If you girls have someone to blame, you can only blame yourselves for not paying attention to your surroundings."
Before the war started, Ahriman ordered the Six Eared Macaque to disguise himself as a rock at the border of the Slovell Kingdom. He waited patiently until the armies marched past him, because the mission that was given to him was to capture at least two of the ladies that represented the seven virtues. He could have captured more, but doing so would have been difficult.
After all, he could only carry two of them at the same time, and there were two Pseudo-Gods guarding the rear of the army. If he stayed longer, they would have caught up to him, which was something he wanted to avoid at all cost.
His destination was the one-way portal that would take him directly to the Zabia Kingdom where Felix was waiting for his arrival. They had long decided to ditch the Slovell Kingdom, and simply use it as an opportunity to deal as much damage as they could to the Alliance and the Holy Order of Light, who had become too cocky as of late.
"Just a little more and I'll be in time to have dinner with Eve," the Six-Eared Macaque muttered. "That girl is the only ray of sunshine in these dark times. She is too good to become Ahriman's High Priestess, but I guess being a priestess is better than being dead. Let's see…. The portal should be around here…"
After making a sharp turn, the Six-Eared Macaque froze completely upon seeing two beauties in front of him.
Lightning crackled on Astrape's right hand, and the rumbling of thunder boomed on Bronte's left hand.
The two ladies smiled at the Monkey in front of them, which made the latter feel as if he had taken a wrong turn.
Chapter 1217 Have A Taste Of Deez Nuts
"Well, hello there, two beautiful ladies," the Six-Eared Macaque said with a smile. "Nice weather we are having, eh?"
The sky above his head had already darkened, preventing the light of the sun from passing through. Lightning streaked in the sky and thunder boomed like the roaring of hundreds of lions.
"Yes, this is indeed a very nice weather we're having," Astrape replied. "Now. Will you kindly hand those two ladies over to us? Or must we take them by force?"
"Either way is fine with us," Bronte commented with a smirk. "You pride yourself with your speed, right? I wonder who is faster, you or us."
The Six-Eared Macaque snorted before giving his reply.
"Are you challenging me, darling?" the Six-Eared Macaque asked. "Even with these two ladies in my hands, I dare say that only a handful of beings can catch me in this world."
With a sudden somersault, the mischievous Monkey used the air to propel itself in the other direction, leaving the two ladies behind.
"Sorry ladies, but I already have a date," the Six-Eared Macaque laughed. "Next time, book a reservatio–"
The Monkey, who was still using Sun Wukong's appearance, stopped running when he saw the two ladies he had left behind were now standing in front of him once again.
"Well, that was quick," Astrape smirked. "I thought you said that there are only a handful of beings in this world that can catch you. I guess we're part of those select few, right?"
Instead of answering, the Six-Eared Macaque lowered his body and took a sprinting stance. A second later, a dust cloud appeared, as he sped up like a railgun moving faster than the speed of sound.
He had already placed a barrier on the two ladies in his arms to prevent them from getting hurt with his sudden acceleration. This was the trump card that allowed him to escape even the pursuit of the Monkey King, who was known for his overwhelming strength.
However, just as he was feeling cocky about finally escaping the two beauties, who had the same rank as him, he suddenly stopped running, and skidded across the ground, leaving a blazing trail behind him.
"Well, you are indeed fast," Astrape commented.
"But, not fast enough," Bronte stated. "Now, give us those two ladies before you get hurt."
The Six-Eared Macaque suddenly chuckled as if he heard something amusing.
"I guess I am being underestimated." the Six Eared Macaque sighed as he placed the two ladies on the ground between his feet. He then took a smoking pipe out of his ear, and twirled it around his fingers.
"In times long forgotten, there were Four Celestial Monkeys who went by the name the Four Monkeys of Havoc," The Six-Eared Macaque said as he held the smoking pipe in his hand firmly.
"The first is the Stone Monkey of Numinous Wisdom, who
Knows transformations,
Recognizes the seasons,
Discerns the advantages of earth,
And is able to alter the course of the planets and stars."
The Six Eared Macaque lit the smoking pipe and started to puff, blowing circles of smoke from his mouth before continuing his speech.
"The second is the Red-Buttocked Horse Monkey, who
Has knowledge of yin and yang,
Understands human affairs,
Is adept in its daily life.
And able to avoid death and lengthen its life."
The Six Eared-Macaque then casually scratched his right ear, as if talking made them feel itchy.
"The third is the Tongbi Gibbon, who can
Seize the sun and the moon,
Shorten a thousand mountains,
Distinguish the auspicious from the inauspicious,
And manipulate the planets and stars."
Finally the Six-Eared Macaque emptied his smoking pipe and gave it a light tap. A moment later, it extended until it became as tall as him.
"The fourth is the Six-Eared Macaque who has
A sensitive ear,
Discernment of fundamental principles,
Knowledge of past and future,
And comprehension of all things."
The Six-Eared Macaque then rested his weapon on his shoulder before pointing his thumb to his chest.
"I am the Six-Eared Macaque," the Six-Eared Macaque said as he undid his transformation, showing his true appearance. "One of the Four Celestial Monkeys of old. I have seen countless gazes of pity, not only from the two of you, but from everyone that I had met along the way, and I hate that gaze more than I hate running away."
The Six-Eared Macaque took a fighting stance as his eyes glowed a golden color, making the power of his Divinity burn brightly in his body.
"Come, little girls," the Six-Eared Macaque said in a challenging tone. "I'll let the two of you have a taste of Deez Nuts."
Astrape and Bronte exchanged a glance before shifting their attention back to the Monkey whose hair now stood on end.
The next second, the Six-Eared Macaque jumped into the air, and the two ladies followed suit.
High above the sky, powerful rumbling sounds were heard as the two Deities fought together against the Six-Eared Macaque that had decided to fight.
To their surprise, the majority of their attacks were either blocked or dodged. The attacks that had managed to land on the Monkey's body didn't seem to have any effect on him because his expression didn't change in the slightest.
"Sweep away all adversaries!" the Six-Eared Macaque shouted as he swung the smoking pipe towards the two ladies that were blasting his body with lightning bolts. "Lingyin Stick!"
The smoking pipe extended and grew to an enormous size, swatting the two ladies who were mid-air, and sending them crashing towards the ground.
The Monkey who was looked down upon by everyone in the Celestial Realm, with the exception of Sun Wukong, who truly knew his strength, stood tall on his floating cloud like a Sovereign.
"Well, How do you like Deez Nuts of mine?" the Six-Eared Macaque asked with a sneer.
As one of the Four Celestial Monkeys that were not bound by the laws of the world, he wasn't a doormat that anyone could step on.
He had chosen to take on that persona because it was easier if everyone looked down on him. Only on rare occasions would he let others see his strength, and when he did, he would not stop until he gave his enemies a good pounding!
Chapter 1218 Just Where ls That Confidence Of Yours Coming From?
The Six-Eared Macaque scratched his right ear as he gazed down on the two ladies that had crashed several hundred meters away from him.
"How long do you plan to watch?" the Six-Eared Macaque asked as he turned his head to the left, looking at the top of the cliff in the distance. "Do you find this interesting, Your Royal Highness, the Prince of Darkness?"
A clapping sound reached the Six-Eared Macaque's ears as a portal appeared on top of the cliff.
"As expected of one of the Celestial Monkeys that defies the laws of the world," William said with a smile on his face. "Not bad."
The Six-Eared Macaque sneered before he vanished from his spot and instantly appeared in front of the Half-Elf.
"That was careless of you, Your Highness," the Six-Eared Macaque stated as he rested his weapon on William's neck. "Do you look down on me so much that you thought I'd just stand idly as you presented yourself in front of me? You must be out of your mind."
"I wasn't being careless," William replied as he gazed back at the Pseudo-God in front of him with a devilish smile on his face. "I know that you can't possibly hurt me."
"Hah? What kind of nonsense are you babbling about? If this is your poor attempt to buy time for those girls to come to your rescue, you're just waiting your breath. Although they are fast, I'm sure that I can smash your head before they can even blink."
"Oh? Do you dare to smash my head?"
The Six-Eared Macaque frowned as he gazed at the black-haired teenager who was looking at him with a fearless gaze. He thought that he would get the upper hand once he had taken the Dark Prince as his hostage, but for some reason, the person in front of him wasn't even feeling afraid of him.
As someone that could see through lies, the Six-Eared Macaque knew that the person in front of him was real and not a clone. Also, the moment he had rested his weapon on William's neck, the two ladies that had attacked him earlier didn't make any sudden movements.
Astrape and Bronte only glared at the Six-Eared Macaque and clenched their fists in frustration. They didn't expect William to come out of the Thousand Beast Domain and allow their enemy to get close to him, threatening his life.
"What kind of games are you playing, Your Highness?" the Six-Eared Macaque asked. "Do you really think I will not kill you?"
"You won't," William replied. "Because you can't."
"Excuse me?"
"Like I said earlier. Do you dare to kill me?"
The frown on the Six-Eared Macaque's face deepened after hearing William's fearless reply. He wasn't expecting this kind of reaction from his enemy, which made him look at the Half-Elf in a different light.
"Just where is that confidence of yours coming from?" the Six-Eared Macaque asked in an annoyed tone. "You're testing my patience, Prince."
William chuckled as he looked at the Six-Eared Macaque's annoyed expression. The reason why he came out of the Thousand Beast Domain in order to take a gamble was because Sun Wukong had told him everything about his opponents.
The Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, Da Peng, and finally, the Six-Eared Macaque, who was one of the four Celestial Monkeys like Sun Wukong.
Among the four Pseudo-Gods under Felix's command, the Six-Eared Macaque had a very peculiar ability.
—----
"The fourth is the Six-Eared Macaque who has
A sensitive ear,
Discernment of fundamental principles,
Knowledge of past and future,
And comprehension of all things."
—----
"You know, you remind me of Psoglav," William said. "Do you know of him?"
The Six-Eared Macaque snorted. "Are you talking about that Demonic Mutt? The one who was afraid of dying?"
"Yeah. You remind me of him."
"You're starting to annoy me."
As if to make a point, the Six-Eared Macaque grabbed hold of William's robes and raised him up in the air.
"Don't push me," the Six-Eared Macaque growled. His tone was as cold as ice. "I guess I'll just have to bring you back and let Felix and Ahriman deal with you."
William chuckled after hearing the Six-Eared Macaque's words. He had already confirmed his suspicions earlier, so he already knew what to do next.
"Back then, I believe you said that you only stand with the winning side, right?" William asked in a teasing tone. "Tell me, after everything that happened, do you still believe that you are standing at the winning side?"
"Are you talking about our losses against the Alliance and the Holy Order?" the Six-Eared Macaque replied. "You already know that we are free to go anywhere we want with Ahriman's power. Even if we lose all the territories we have right now, we can just conquer more. Also, as long as I bring you, and those two girls with me, we have already won this war."
"Right," William nodded his head in agreement. "But, that is only true if you bring me and those two Virtuous Ladies back, right?"
The Six-Eared Macaque pulled the Half-Elf towards him until their faces were only a few centimeters apart. "And, who can stop me from doing so?"
"Them?" William replied as he used his thumb to point behind him.
The Six-Eared Macaque shifted his gaze towards the Half-Elf's back and saw a lineup that made his heart tremble in his chest.
Sepheron, Titania, Triton, the three Nymphs, and Leviathan, who was simply standing in place and looking somewhere else appeared in his vision.
Nine Demigods, including Astrape and Bronte, surrounded the Six-Eared Macaque. It was a force that would make the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan flee in fear due to how outnumbered, and outclassed they were.
"Hah! I knew you were amazing since the first time I saw you," the Six-Eared Macaque said with a flattering smile as he placed William down and fixed the robe that he had crumpled a mere moment ago.
He even licked his thumb and used it to straighten the creases on William's clothes, making it look brand new.
"Compared to you, that Felix fellow looked like a turd," the Six-Eared Macaque stated. "I don't really like to serve that weakling, but since Eve is a good girl, I decided to stay and protect her from his clutches. You know, your cousin is such a nice person, I feel like I was born to be her protector. In fact, we are so close that he calls me Big Brother Monkey from time to time."
William smiled and nodded his head in understanding. "Eve is indeed a good girl. How is she?"
"She's fine! I always make sure that she eats, and sleeps on time," the Six-Eared Macaque replied. "I have become her nanny. Even now, I want to go back to her side to ensure that she's not being mistreated while I am away."
He was doing his best to ingratiate himself with William so the latter would let him off the hook so he could return to the little priestess that made him feel safe.
"Six-Eared Macaque, do you know why I appeared in front of you?"
"No."
The Six-Eared Macaque really didn't know why William had appeared in front of him. Even now, he could kill the Half-Elf in less than a second, and he was certain that none of the Pseudo-Gods under his command could save him.
Even so, instead of retreating to safety, the Half-Elf remained standing in place, giving him many opportunities to end his life.
"It is because I am certain that you will not kill me," William replied. "You asked me earlier where my confidence is coming from, and my confidence comes from Sun Wukong's trust in you."
"Trust in me?" the Six-Eared Macaque tilted his head in confusion. "He trusts me?"
"Yes. He trusts in your nature."
William then created a sound proofing barrier to prevent other people, including his subordinates from hearing the words he was about to say.
"You are someone who doesn't like to antagonize beings more powerful than you," William said in a teasing manner. "Since you know that Eve is my cousin, you also know that I have a connection with David.
"Not only that, there are also my two Patron Gods backing me as well. One is the God of All Trades, the other is a Primordial Goddess. This is why you didn't attempt to kill me earlier. You know that the moment you do that, you are going to spend your life running away from them. This is why you said that you would bring me back to let Felix and Ahriman so the two of them could deal with me. You are afraid of making a choice that will put you between a rock and a hard place."
The Six-Eared Macaque scratched his head because what William said was exactly what he was thinking. After getting pounded nearly to death by the God of Shepherds, he really didn't want to experience such a beating again.
It was fine if he fought against Pseudo-Gods. He was confident that he could either run away, or defend himself from their pursuit. But against Gods, the Celestial Monkey would revert to his former flattering demeanor in order to save himself from the trouble of getting beaten up.
"Fine, you won," the Six-Eared Macaque said with a sigh. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you to return to Felix's army, and stay by Eve's side," William said before pressing his finger on the monkey's forehead. "You don't have to do anything. Just act like you normally do."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
The Six-Eared Macaque then glanced at the two Virtuous Ladies that were still unconscious on the ground.
"What about them?" the Six-Eared Macaque asked.
William glanced at the two ladies before shifting his gaze back at the Monkey in front of him. "I'll deal with them."
"Okay. Then, I should be going now."
"Wait. Don't go just yet."
Before the Six-Eared Macaque could even ask why William stopped him, he saw black flames, black lightning bolts, water dragons, as well as holy arrows, flying in his direction.
"... F*ck."
That was the last word that the Six-Eared Macaque was able to say, before all of the Pseudo-God's attacks landed on his body.
Chapter 1219 Let The Game Begin!
"Oi! Wake up you stupid Monkey!"
The ear-piercing shout made the Six-Eared Macaque jump up from fright as he looked around him with a wary gaze.
"What happened to you?" the Bull Demon King asked as he looked at the Monkey's disheveled appearance. "No. Who did this to you?"
The Six-Eared Macaque scratched his ears before saying "It's a long story", which made Princess Iron Fan look at him with disdain.
"Judging by the destroyed Teleportation Gate and your very sorry look, you must have been ambushed by someone," Princess Iron Fan stated. "Who did it? Was it the Alliance? The Holy Order?"
"Mmm, it was the Holy Order," the Six-Eared Macaque replied with a grieved expression. "They hid their true strength. Aside from the Pseudo-Gods that we know, they had two more lying in wait."
The Bull Demon King frowned after hearing this piece of news. He didn't doubt the Six-Eared Macaque's words because he had indeed sensed the presence of two Pseudo-Gods when he and Princess Iron Fan arrived at the scene.
"What about the war?" the Six-Eared Macaque asked in order to change the topic.
Princess Iron Fan snorted as she unfurled her fan and fanned herself. "What did you expect? The two of us were completely outnumbered, so we just did our best to kill as many people as we could before making our escape. We thought that we had managed to secure a win after capturing those two girls, but it seems that you failed to meet our expectations as always."
The Six-Eared Macaque averted his gaze in embarrassment. He looked so pitiful that Princess Iron Fan had the strong urge to kick him due to how useless he was.
"Let's go back," the Bull Demon King said with a sigh. "We need to rethink our strategy. We underestimated the Holy Order of Light. It seems that they were just biding their time to use their Trump Cards."
Without another word, the Bull Demon King flew towards the Kingdom of Zabia. Now that the Teleportation Gate was destroyed, they had no choice but to make their way there the hard way.
Princess Iron Fan kicked the Six-Eared Macaque's leg before flying away in a foul mood. Clearly, she was very unhappy with how things turned out.
The Celestial Monkey watched the two go and shook his head helplessly.
"That hurt," the Six Eared Macaque muttered as he lightly rubbed his face. "Couldn't you have done it in a gentler way?"
After heaving a depressed sigh, the Six-Eared Macaque changed into Sun Wukong's appearance and somersaulted in the sky. He then landed on top of a floating cloud, and urged it to follow his two comrades, who were leaving him behind.
—---
"Ugh… my head."
Shana, who represented the Virtue of Prudence, held her aching head with her right hand, while using her left to prop herself up from the cold floor that she was lying on.
After scanning her surroundings she immediately saw her friend, Melody, who represented the Virtue of Faith.
"Melody, are you alright?" Shana lightly shook her friend who was still unconscious.
After her persistent attempt to wake one of her Sisters, Melody groaned before opening her eyes.
"Shana?" Melody held the back of her head, which had been hit by the Six-Eared Macaque to render her unconscious. "What happened? Where are we?"
"We have been captured by the enemy," Shana replied. "We were careless and didn't prepare enough to prevent a sneak attack from behind."
Melody winced as Shana used a healing spell to relieve the pain that she was feeling. After a minute, the pain completely disappeared as the healing magic healed her injury completely.
"Thank you, Shana," Melody said before looking at their surroundings. "I've heard many foul things about the Heir of Darkness. If those stories are true, then both of us are in grave danger."
Shana nodded her head in agreement. The Pope had warned them of the things that Felix would do to them once they were captured. Although they didn't know if it was possible, the Pope insisted that the Heir of Darkness might have found a way to absorb their Divinities and take their power away from them.
The two were surrounded by a thick black mist that prevented them from seeing past a dozen meters. Both of them raised their awareness to the highest level, as they unleashed the power of their Divinities, in order to deal with whatever foul plans the Heir of Darkness had in store for them.
"It's good to see that both of you are awake."
The two Virtuous Ladies turned their heads in the direction where the voice was coming from. As if waiting for that moment, the black mists slowly parted, revealing a devilishly handsome Half-Elf that was seated on a black throne, and looking at them with a calm expression on his face.
"Are you Felix?" Shana asked. "What do you plan to do with us?"
"You are making a big misunderstanding with your statement there," William replied. "I am not Felix. I am the one that saved the two of you from the Six-Eared Macaque who kidnapped you on the battlefield."
Melody, who was just observing the black-haired teenager, stood in front of Shana as if to shield her from harm.
"You are the Dark Prince," Melody stated. "William Von Ainsworth, correct?"
William nodded "Yes. Since you know my name, I think it is only proper that the two of you introduce yourselves. After all, I did save your lives."
Melody glanced at Shana, who nodded her head.
"I am Melody."
"Shana."
William waited for a while to see if the two ladies would say anything else, but looking at their faces, he knew that the two didn't plan on saying anything else.
"Okay, Melody, Shana, like I said earlier, I am the one that saved you," William said in a tone that was similar to an adult trying to teach a child on how to speak. "Aren't you going to thank me?"
Melody frowned and didn't reply to William's question. It was Shana who took the initiative to reply to William's words.
"Thank you," Shana replied. "Can you let us go now? I believe we have signed a non-aggression pact between our two factions. Both sides cannot do anything to harm each other's interest."
William nodded his head. "That is true. We have signed an agreement. This is why I am waiting for the two of you to fulfill your part of the agreement."
"Hah? What do you mean?" Shana asked.
"Simply put, I had no obligation to save the two of you," William answered in a calm tone. "Yet, I did. This means that the two of you owe me for saving your lives. I didn't violate our agreement. In fact, I even helped the two of you.
"This is a fact. If Felix was the one that had captured the two of you, I'm sure that both of you would have been stripped naked by now, and forcefully pinned down on the bed. Don't you agree?"
Melody shook her head in defiance. "That won't happen. The reason is simple, we have a means to make him wish he never kidnapped the two of us in the first place."
"Oh? How curious." William smiled. "Well, it doesn't matter. I don't care what you think. The fact still remains that you will not be able to leave this place until you properly repay me for saving the two of you. If you don't agree, you can use whatever trump card you have to leave this place or harm me. But, take note, if you do that, you will be breaking our contract."
Shana clenched her fist in anger. Although she didn't believe that forcefully escaping from wherever they were would break the contract, she couldn't take that chance. Afterall, if she broke the contract, William would have the right to treat them, and order them around, as he wished, make them his own personal slaves as it were.
"What do you want from us?" Melody asked in a calm manner. "As long as it is within our power, and doesn't go past our bottomline, we are willing to accommodate your request."
"Does that apply to your friend as well?" William asked back.
"Yes." Shana nodded. "Just spit it out already!"
William smiled because he was waiting for this moment. He knew that he couldn't really break the contract because if he did, he would become Celeste's slave for a year. He just used the condition that he saved the two Virtues to make them feel that they were indebted to him, allowing him to gain a little advantage over them in their negotiation.
"You have two choices," William replied. "The first is to let me drink your blood for one week. You already know that I am part vampire, so if you allow me to drink your blood for a week, I will let you go. The war is still ongoing, so I'm sure that the Alliance and the Holy Order will continue to fight until they have completely occupied the Slovell Kingdom. If you don't return soon, things might get a little difficult for your sisters."
"What is the next option?" Melody asked. If possible, she didn't want to have her blood drunk by the Dark Prince, whose power was still unknown to them.
"Simple, you just need to beat these three in a game of Dance Dance Evolution," William answered as he pointed at Medusa, Gullinbursti, and Sharur, who appeared beside him. "If you beat these three, then the two of you can go back."
"Very well," Shannon stated. "I will choose to fight these three in this game called Dance Dance Evolution."
Shana held the virtue of Prudence, while Melody held the Virtue of Faith. With their powers, they believed that they wouldn't have a hard time dealing with a little girl, a golden piglet, and a floating mace, in whatever game that the Dark Prince had in store for them.
"Great," William said while chuckling internally. "Let the game begin!"
Although Medusa, Gullibursti, and Sharur looked harmless on the outside, these three free loaders had conquered every game inside the Arcades in the City, making them the three Big Bosses that no one inside the Thousand Beast Domain was able to defeat.
Chapter 1220 Evil And Childish At The SameTime
"W-Where are we?"
"This place is called an Arcade."
William had assigned Medusa to babysit the two Virtuous Ladies and take them to the arcade where they would have their match against her, Gullinbursti, and Sharur.
"... What is that thing?" Shana asked. "Are those toys inside it?"
"That? You call that a Crane Game," Medusa replied. "You can win a toy if you manage to grab one using a crane."
The Arcade was generally noisy at this time because several Demons, mostly children, were inside the Arcade playing games. When the two Virtuous Ladies saw the Demons, their initial thoughts were that they were their enemies, but since they were inside William's domain, they didn't make a move to attack the children.
Instead, they peppered the purple-haired girl with a lot of questions about all the brightly colored and glowing "artifacts" that they were seeing for the first time.
"Well, here we are," Medusa said as she faced the two ladies and spread her arms wide. "This is the Dance Dance Evolution. We will have our match here."
"Good," Shana replied. "I can't wait to get away from this place."
Medusa chuckled as she eyed the Virtuous Lady of Prudence that had shoulder-length blue hair and eyes filled with ridicule.
The little Gorgon and her friends were the undisputed Queen and Kings of the Arcade World. Clearly, she felt disdain for the two noobs who had just entered her territory, and thought that they could beat her that easily.
"Well then, I will teach you how this artifact works," Medusa said. "First, please stand over there."
The purple-haired little girl pointed at one of the Dance Pads in front of her.
"What's this?" Melody asked. She had been quietly observing her surroundings, but she found this big artifact that was placed at the center of the Arcade quite interesting.
"It's a dance pad," Medusa replied.
"D-Dance pad?" Melody blinked. "This is where we are going to dance?"
Medusa nodded and gave the Virtuous Lady of Faith with reddish-brown hair the "Isn't that obvious?" stare, which made the latter frown.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" Medusa asked. "I can't teach you if you just stand there all day. If you are planning to waste my time, I'm going to leave."
"Wait!" Shana walked toward the dance pad and stepped on top of it. "Okay, now what?"
"Look at the screen in front of you. You will be given some options to choose a song as well as its difficulty level. Let's start with something simple. Choose 'Boom Boom Collar', and choose the Normal Difficulty. You can use your feet to tap on the arrows to navigate the settings."
"Like this?"
Shana lightly tapped on the dance pad using her foot, and the song list that was displayed on the big screen in front of her started to move.
As she tapped on the list of songs, they would briefly play the song that she had selected. Finally, after finding the song that Medusa had told her to try. Medusa then told her to tap the green button with her foot to confirm that this was the song that she selected.
After choosing the difficulty level of the song, the screen lit up and Medusa also stepped on the dance pad right beside her.
"Do you see the four arrows at the very top?" Medusa asked. "Once the moving arrow moves to that location, you tap it at the same time with your feet. Like so~"
The moment a moving arrow reached the left arrow, Medusa tapped the left arrow of the dance pad and the word "Perfect!" appeared on it.
"The mechanics of the game are simple," Medusa explained. "You just tap on the arrow as the song plays. If you fail to tap on the right arrow with your foot, that gauge decreases. The moment the gauge becomes zero, the game will end. Now you try it."
At first, Shana kept on missing the arrows that were going upwards as the song played. However, she was a warrior, so after trying a few more times, she got the hang of it.
A bit later, Melody also joined her and the two virtuous ladies practiced stepping on the dance pad as the song played.
'This is kind of fun,' Shana thought as she started to enjoy tapping on the arrows on the dance pad in time with the song.
Melody was also having fun, and although both girls tried their best to hide it, their hips were starting to sway as they tapped in rhythm with the song.
"Today will just be a practice day," Medusa stated. "You can challenge me tomorrow when you get the hang of it. Remember, this is just the normal difficulty. There are still the Novice, Expert, Professional, Genuine, Hero, and Paranoia Mode."
The two ladies nodded their heads in understanding. They knew that they wouldn't be able to beat Medusa in their current state, so they doggedly practiced until they were able to attain the "Good" and "Great" points as they tapped on the Dance Pad.
William, who was monitoring the two ladies' progress from within his Villa smirked. He knew that the Virtues were proud ladies. He had signed a non-aggression pact with the Holy Order of Light, so it was impossible for him to break it.
The only thing he could do was use a loophole that he could exploit in order to make the two Virtues understand that he was not their enemy, at least for now. Also, he had other reasons for letting them see the situation of the Thousand Beast Domain.
The Virtues had been gathered by the Holy Order of Light and taught a few things. One of them was that Demons were evil.
In the past, William would have agreed with this teaching. But, after going to the Demon Continent himself, he understood that not all demons were the same. Just like Humans, there were good and bad Demons.
Some Demon Clans, like the ones William had taken under their wing, only wanted to live peaceful lives. If possible, they didn't want to participate in wars, and he wanted to teach the two Virtues that most of the teaching from the Church weren't correct.
Right now, he wanted to increase the contact the two ladies had with the Demon Tribes, which was why he decided to present two options to the Virtues after saving them. He knew that both of them would reject the option of having their blood drunk by him, so he decided to use the "playing a game" as an excuse to allow them to mingle with the Demons.
"Anh, make sure to send the children to play with the Virtues in two days," William ordered.
"Yes, Lord William," a one-horned young lady with light-brown hair and green eyes replied. Anh was the granddaughter of the Patriarch of the One-Horned Tribe who had sworn his loyalty to the Half-Elf from the very beginning.
She would also go to the Villa to offer her blood to the black-haired teenager, even if the latter didn't ask for her to come. In the end, William completely gave up and just allowed the brown-haired beauty to do as she wished.
As one of William's loyal subjects, she had complete faith and trust to the Dark Prince, who had only shown care and kindness, not only to her tribe, but to the other Demon Tribes as well.
The Patriarchs of the Demon Tribes would always praise William due to how wonderful the Thousand Beast Domain was. For them, this was simply paradise, and they would not leave, even if they were offered the opportunity to live in the Capital City of the Demon Realm.
"Lord William, will the two Virtues manage to defeat Medusa?" Anh asked.
"Impossible," William smiled. "How can they win against her? She's been playing that game since she came to this place."
Anh chuckled before nodding her head in understanding. Although she didn't know what her Master had planned for the two Virtues, one thing was clear.
'They won't be going anywhere anytime soon,' Anh thought with a smile. 'How could Lord William be so evil, and childish at the same time? Still… I don't dislike this side of him.'
The brown-haired beauty continued to sit beside the Half-Elf, and watched the two dancing Virtues with an amused expression on her face.