Chapter 130 - 1363-1374

Chapter 1363 Hope Has Many Faces [Part 3]

"Can I ask you something, Cathy?"

"Yes?"

"What happened to the other girls?" William inquired as he walked hand in hand with the Virthous lady of Hope. "Are they sleeping inside you or something?"

Truth be told, he was quite worried about Haleth's, Amelia's, Priscilla's, Vesta's, Anh's, Pearl's, and Erinys' safety. When all of them turned into particles of light, he felt as if a heavy stone had been placed on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Don't worry, all of them are awake, and listening to our conversation," Cathy replied with a smile and gave William's hand a light squeeze. "They are safe."

"That's good to know." William sighed internally. Now that he knew that they were safe, he was able to breathe a little easier as he continued to take a stroll with Cathy in the Palace Gardens.

"Well, aside from Amelia, Priscilla, Pearl, and Vesta, the rest of the girls love you, so you better treat them with great care," Cathy replied in a teasing manner. "But, since I'll be your Ninth Wife, they are bound to become your lovers sooner or later. This is something inevitable, so treat them nicely as well."

William didn't know how to react to the bomb that Cathy dropped just now, so he decided to keep quiet about it.

"Don't be so tense." Cathy grabbed hold of WIlliam's arm and clung to him, making the Half-Elf feel something soft press against his arm. "First, let me tell you some good news. The Army of Destruction will need exactly two years before they arrive here in Hestia.

"It would take that much time to finish their campaigns in the other worlds that they are currently waging war on before they can gather their entire army and attack this world. The Three Gods of Destruction have already decided that sending a punitive force to this world would not be enough to destroy it. Because of this, you will be able to have some buffer time."

"Two years…," William muttered. "It sounds long, but if we tell people that the end of the world will be happening in two years, they will definitely do their best to live their lives to the fullest with the remaining time they have."

Cathy nodded. "Yes. I'm sure that is indeed the case. So, make sure to use those two precious years to unite the residents of this world. Your chances of winning are already low, so make sure to eliminate infighting completely."

The two continued their stroll until they reached the center of the garden where a bench was located.

William and Cathy sat there as they continued to chat about random things. The Half-Elf was surprised that the lady beside him seemed to never run out of interesting stories to tell. She was like an Auntie who had plenty of gossip to share, making her a very good story teller.

Finally, after half an hour, Cathy took the initiative to breach the topic about Wiliam's memories.

"I will now return your memories to you," Cathy explained. "Now, please close your eyes. You and I will go on a trip together after you regain your memories. That will be your first advance payment. For this special service."

William nodded and closed his eyes.

Cathy took a deep breath before pressing her forehead over William to pass him the memories he had lost.

As soon as their foreheads touched each other, William's body jolted as he felt several volts of electricity running through his brain, as if it was being rewired to accommodate the information that he was about to receive.

Scenes that came from Midgard, Earth, and Hestia flooded inside his head, filling in the gaps that had been created when he lost his memories.

This continued for fifteen whole minutes before Cathy pulled back, making William hold his head with both hands as he panted for breath.

He was currently suffering from a terrible headache that wouldn't go away even though he was already using Life Magic to cure it.

It took him ten more minutes to regain his composure, even though his head was still hurting from the sudden influx of information that would take some time to get organized.

"Take a rest first," Cathy said as she patted her lap. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. You will still need to uphold your part of the bargain, so rest for now. Our journey will begin after you clear your head."

William gratefully accepted Cathy's proposal and laid his head on her lap. The Virtuous Lady of Hope then started to hum, as she lightly brushed Wiliam's head, singing him a lullaby, so he could rest.

Cathy's comforting hands, and voice, lulled William to sleep. Soon, he closed his eyes and allowed his exhausted mind to repair itself from the overload of information that he received just a few minutes ago.

"He looks so peaceful when he sleeps," Haleth said from inside Cathy's head.

"I know, right?" Cathy replied. "Doesn't he look like a fairy tale prince when he's like this?"

"Yes," Erinys commented. "William is indeed a prince."

"Our Prince, right?" Anh said as she gazed at William through Cathy's eyes.

"Well, it's good that you three are getting along, but I would appreciate it if you didn't let your emotions override my own," Pearl replied. "I still have a grudge because he brainwashed my sister. I will not forgive him that easily."

"Um, I'm only doing this, so that Princess Sidonie will be revived," Priscilla commented with a flushed face. "I'm not really interested in William. Although I have to agree that there are very few men who are worthy enough to have my Princess' love and affection."

"My father has been telling me to seduce him as of late," Vesta said with a pout. "It's really a pain… but, it's hard for me to find someone who is better than him."

"My father is the same." Amelia admitted. "He even talked to William's Grandpa a few years ago, so that I could be his concubine. I don't know if they reached an agreement…"

Deep inside Cathy's consciousness, the seven ladies were having an internal discussion, while waiting for William to wake up from his rest.

All of them had different personalities, and they all had different relationships with the red-headed teenager, who was sleeping peacefully on their lap.

Priscilla, Pearl, and Vesta, managed to convince Cathy that she shouldn't get pregnant without their permission. After all, once she got pregnant, it would not be her that would give birth, but all of them.

Cathy agreed because she respected their opinions as well. Just as she had said earlier, Hope had many faces, and the faces of the ladies around her represented the different faces of hope that were needed in a world that was headed for destruction.

Chapter 1364 Return To Midgard

Three hours later, William finally regained consciousness.

His overall presence had changed, which made Cathy smile.

"Do you remember me now?" Cathy asked in a teasing tone.

"Yes," William replied. "You are my emergency rations."

"How rude."

"But, isn't it the truth?"

Cathy snorted and pulled on William's cheeks, until the latter tapped her hands to tell her to stop.

"Cathy, I didn't expect that we would meet each other again in this manner," William said as he continued to lie down on her lap. "So, you're Hope."

"In the flesh." Cathy replied as she patted William's head.

"I believe you mentioned that you're going to ask for an advance payment for returning my memories."

"Mmm. I did say that. So, are you ready to give me my payment?"

"Okay." WIlliam nodded. "What do you want?"

"I want you to accompany me to a place."

"Where?"

"Midgard."

William's eyes widened in shock because he didn't expect that he would hear that word from Cathy's lips.

"But, Midgard is already destroyed," William replied. "How can we possibly go there?"

"Who said that it was destroyed?" Cathy asked back with a smile.

"It wasn't destroyed?"

"Nope."

William propped himself up in a sitting position before looking at Cathy in disbelief.

"Midgard still exists?" William asked back. "I thought the other realms were also destroyed after Asgard fell."

"Well, that should have been the case," Cathy replied. "But, Odin and Freya had made preparations beforehand to prevent the worst case scenario from happening. If Asgard was to fall, Freya would cut Midgard off from Yggdrasil, and set it on a course away from the path of destruction. That was how Midgard survived."

William became silent because now that he thought about it, everything made so much more sense.

During the battle of Ragnarok, Freya was nowhere to be seen. All the other Gods had fought, while the Queen of the Valkyries couldn't be found anywhere.

If he were to believe Cathy's explanation then that meant that the Stall Owner who had given him the rings, Altair and Vega, which he and Belle wore in their fingers, was the Goddess Freya, who was absent when the Asgardians were duking it out with the Army of Destruction.

He didn't recognize her because she wore a veil, preventing him from seeing her face.

"Unbelievable," William muttered as the realization finally hit him. "So Midgard survived."

"Right, and it is even thriving right now." Cathy smirked. "Now, My Prince, will you accompany me to take a stroll to Midgard?"

Just as William was about to answer, three ladies descended from the sky and landed in front of them.

"I'm going as well," Wendy said. "I would visit Midgard often to fulfill my duties as a Valkyrie Captain. I want to see if it really survived Ragnarok."

"I'm going to," Estelle stated. "Will is always kidnapped by women. I'll tag along to ensure that he is safe."

"I'll go as well," Belle commented. "We still have a lot of catching up to do, right, Will?"

The Half-Elf raised both of his hands in surrender, which meant that he agreed to take the three of them with him to Midgard.

"Is it fine if they tag along?" William asked Cathy, who had an amused expression on her face.

"Why not?" Cathy answered. "The more the merrier. But, I'll only be taking the three of them with us. You ladies hiding over there can't come with us, okay?"

Astrape, Bronte, Titania, Loxos, Nisha, Shannon, Chloee, and the rest of William's lovers, who were all hiding around the garden to eavesdrop on the conversation, all came out of their hiding places.

"Girls, please wait for my arrival," William said to his lovers in a firm manner. "I'm not going on a picnic. This is purely business. Just wait for my return. I promise that I will spend some time with all of you then."

After coaxing his women to wait for his return, Cathy raised her hand and pointed to something in the Heavens.

"Coordinates locked on," Cathy muttered. "Let's go, Bifrost Bridge."

A beam of light shot up towards the Heavens, taking William, Cathy, Wendy, Estelle, and Belle towards the place where the Virtuous Lady of Hope wanted to visit.

The journey didn't last long and, in just half a minute, the Half-Elf found himself gazing down at a familiar place, where he had been several months ago.

The red-headed teenager then shifted her gaze to Cathy, who was grinning back at him.

"This is indeed Midgard," Cathy stated. "But, the people of this world call it Earth."

Belle glanced at her surroundings and also noticed the familiar scene.

A giant crater, which had now turned into a lake, could be seen from the sky. This was where K-City used to be, before it was taken to the Void.

"The air of this world feels a bit heavy," Estelle commented. "I don't sense any magic in the surroundings. Do you know of this place, Will?"

The Half-Elf nodded. If earlier he wasn't sure, now he was sure of it. Using his enhanced senses, he was able to zoom in on a nearby city, and confirm that he had indeed returned to Earth.

"After escaping its destruction, Midgard floated in the Void until it arrived in this Solar System," Cathy explained. "Freya made sure that it would be set on a proper orbit, so it wouldn't be pulled towards the Sun. Because of the lack of monsters and Giants that constantly invaded Midgard, the people of this world walked the path of modernization and technology.

"Although it isn't exactly peaceful, the fact that it exists is proof that the Asgardians managed to save at least one world from destruction."

William was having complicated feelings inside his heart after he realized that the place where he had met Belle, was actually the same place where he was once discarded by his own father, for being a bastard son.

"Now that we're here, what kind of advance payment do you want to have?" William asked after he calmed himself down.

"Well, the answer is really simple." Cathy smiled as she held William's arm and clung to him. "Let's go on a date. Treat it as your advance payment for having your memories returned."

"A date?" William arched an eyebrow at the lady holding his arm. "Is that all you want from me?"

"Yes." Cathy nodded before whispering something in William's ear. "This might be our last date together. After all, you still need to rescue your wives from the Underworld, as well as unite the warring Factions in Hestia. Two years may not be enough time to bring everyone under one banner. So, do your best. I will be cheering for you, even if you don't see me."

Cathy planted a kiss on William's cheek, before holding his hand to drag him away to fly to the city where he was born.

The black-haired lady had already sent a telepathic message to the three girls to give her some time alone with William, so the two of them could enjoy their date.

Since the three girls owed her a favor for returning William's memories, Wendy, Estelle, and Belle had no choice but to compromise, and allow Cathy to spend a day with the red-headed teenager, who was currently a famous celebrity on Earth.

Chapter 1365 The Power Of Hope

"Isn't that William? He's one of the Revengers, right?"

"Omg! It is him! I wonder if I can get an autograph?"

"Who's that plain looking girl beside him? Is this a reenactment of the story of Handsome and the Beast?"

"I'm much more beautiful than that girl. Do you think if I went over to talk to them, Mr. William would ditch her and come with me instead?"

"Girl, take a good look at your face. A bullfrog is prettier than you."

Cathy giggled after hearing what the onlookers were saying. She was currently taking a stroll with William in one of the most famous attractions for couples in the city, and everyone was taking snapshots of the two of them as they walked past them.

"You're really famous, Will," Cathy commented. "Too bad, I am not as beautiful as your wives. They are saying that we're not a match for each other."

"Just ignore them," William replied as he walked hand in hand with Cathy. "Still, I didn't know that Earth and Midgard were the same."

"Are you feeling sentimental?" Cathy commented. "Do you want to visit the site where Camelot used to be? Or do you want to bring flowers to the grave of your father who exiled you during your teenage years?"

William didn't reply right away. He had experienced returning to Camelot when he was still the Prince of Darkness. He even fought against Lancelot and won, allowing himself to get over the grudges he held in the past.

Cathy didn't disturb Willam's thoughts and simply walked beside him. A few minutes later, the Half-Elf shook his head. He had already moved on, and there was no need to cling to what happened in the past.

"Would you like to have some ice cream?" William asked as they stopped at an Ice Cream shop. "You said that your senses are connected to the seven of them right, will they be able to taste the food that you eat?"

Cathy nodded. "We all share the same body. In fact, I can even transform myself to look like each and every one of them. Whenever you spend some time with them, you can think of it as me spending time with you. So even if I am not around, as long as you are interacting with them, you are also interacting with me at the same time. Pretty amazing, right?"

"When Shannon, Erinys, and I were on the uninhabited island…"

"No need to continue. I already said that I am them, and they are me. Meaning, I also experienced everything that Erinys experienced back then."

Cathy gave William a mischievous smile, making the Half-Elf avert his gaze. What he didn't know was that inside Cathy's Sea of Consciousness, all the girls were now interrogating Erinys about what happened when William was still on the island together with her and Shannon.

Cathy smiled internally, as she watched the Half-ling, whose face had already turned beet-red, after being pestered by her "sisters", who made up Cathy as a whole.

William, who was oblivious of what was happening, asked the lady beside him on what flavor of ice cream she wanted.

"What flavor do you like to have?" William inquired.

"I'll have chocolate mint ice cream," Cathy replied. "I've always wanted to try it, but I was too busy doing things in the background."

"Busy? What things were you doing?"

"Did you forget, Will? I am Hope. Almost everyone in the world turns to me when they are encountering hardships. This is why I am quite busy. I only took a day off because of you. So, make sure to be happy that I allowed you to accompany me."

William eyed Cathy who was batting her eyes at him. He still didn't know how the power of Hope worked, so for now, he just assumed that the mischievous lady beside him was telling him the truth.

After getting the chocolate mint ice cream, Cathy didn't waste time and started to eat it.

"What's this? It's cold and it's delicious!" Priscilla exclaimed. "What kind of desert is this?"

"Strange, I've eaten a lot of things along my journey in the Silvermoon Continent, but this is the first time I've tasted something like this," Pearl stated.

"This desert called ice cream has different colors," Amelia commented. "Does that mean it has many different flavors as well?"

"Yes," Erinys answered. "There are many different flavors. I tried a few of them when I ordered them in bulk from Ama-Soon. The Underworld can be quite hot during certain times of the year."

"I've eaten several kinds of ice cream in the Thousand Beast Domain," Vesta interjected. "But, we didn't have this flavor in the ice cream shops right, Anh?"

"Yeah," Anh answered. "We have chocolate, and dark chocolate, but this cool and refreshing taste is different from what I know. We have to ask Will to bring some of this mint back home. I'm sure it will be popular with the children."

"Let's try the other flavors as well," Haleth insisted. "Maybe there is something that tastes better than this."

"""Okay!"""

Everyone inside Cathy's Sea of Consciousness voted unanimously to try the different ice cream flavors that were available inside the shop.

Cathy accommodated all of their requests, and tasted all the ice cream flavors that were available, making the uncultured ladies like Amelia, Priscilla, and Pearl, experience something that they hadn't experienced before.

"Two strawberry cones, please," Cathy said to the server, who was quite amazed by Cathy's ability to eat so many ice creams without breaking a sweat.

"You ate strawberries earlier." William teased. "What's wrong, is Erinys asking for seconds?"

Cathy smiled as she accepted the two strawberry cones that the server had given her.

"Although Erinys loves strawberry, this is not for her," Cathy replied as she turned around to hand the ice cream to two little girls that had walked behind her and William.

"Here you go, girls," Cathy said with a smile.

"Maple thanks you for the ice cream."

"C-Cinnamon is also grateful."

Cathy giggled as she patted the head of the two girls, who were now happily licking their ice creams.

William who saw Maple and Cinnamon almost did a double take because he wasn't expecting to see the two girls on Earth.

Although he was very happy to see them, he was also very worried because the two pink-haired girls were prone to going to random places without a guardian.

He had seen them back in the Underworld, and now he was seeing them again on Earth. The Half-Elf could already feel his liver itch, thinking of how dangerous it would be for the two little gluttons to wander on their own, without someone accompanying them.

But, the biggest question was.

What were Maple and Cinnamon doing here?

The red-headed teenager glanced at Cathy who was wiping Maple's cheek with a handkerchief because it had been dirtied by the ice cream she was eating. For some reason, he felt as if this whole thing wasn't a coincidence.

This made him wonder if the Virtuous Lady of Hope truly didn't know what was happening, or was simply using her mysterious powers to help William attain the goals he was striving to reach.

Chapter 1366 Right Now, Lt Ls Impossible For You To Beat Him

"Maple wants some cotton candy!"

"C-Cinnamon wants waffles."

"Macarons!"

"Brownies!"

"Cupcakes!"

"Cheesecake!"

"Apple pie!"

"Chocolate chip cookies!"

The two little gluttons happily ate anything that looked good in the stores that William and Cathy visited.

William was holding Maple's hand, while Cathy was holding Cinnamon's. Both girls had bottomless appetites, and the Half-Elf was more than happy to spoil them with food.

Fortunately, the VIP Credit Card he got from the president of the National Bank of Country-K worked in any establishment, allowing him to purchase everything without any limit.

Since the one paying for everything was his father-in-law, Raymond, who was also Belle's father, he didn't mind using his family's fortune in order to make the two little girls happy.

The four people went to a nearby park to have a picnic because the weather was nice, and Cathy was the one that proposed it. The Virtuous Lady of Hope was smitten with the two pink-haired girls, whom she pampered just as much as William did.

After they finished eating, William asked the question that had been on his mind since he saw the two little girls, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Do you have anyone accompanying the two of you?" William asked.

"No," Maple replied. "We escaped!"

"We don't want to eat vegetables, so we decided to run away!" Cinnamon commented from the side.

William blinked once then twice because he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

The two girls were the very incarnation of gluttony and could eat anything including rocks and dirts on the ground. However, they decided to run away from home because they were asked to eat vegetables?

How picky could they get?

"Vegetables are good for the two of you," William said with a smile. "If you don't eat vegetables, you will not be able to grow tall."

"I can grow taller than Mama?" Cinnamon asked.

"As tall as Papa?" Maple inquired.

"Maybe?" William replied. "But, vegetables are good for the body. So, you have to eat them, okay?"

"No."

"I don't want to."

The two girls pouted and the Half-Elf was very tempted to pinch their puffed-up cheeks that made them look like squirrels with their mouths full of food.

"The two of you should eat vegetables," Cathy commented. "If you don't eat it, your Mama will be sad. Do you want your mama to be sad?"

The two little gluttons exchanged a glance with each other before shaking their heads.

"Good." Cathy nodded. "So, the next time your Mama asks you to eat vegetables, you better eat them, okay? If you do, your Mama will be very happy."

"She will?"

"Will Mama be happy?"

"Of course! So, you better not be picky with food, okay?"

""Okay!""

Seeing how Cathy resolved the problem without too much effort, the Half-Elf couldn't help but smile. Although he was still feeling anxious about Maple and Cinnamon running away from home without anyone to look after them, as long as he was around, he would keep the two of them safe.

Observing William from afar were three ladies wearing stylish clothes and sunglasses. They were observing the four people who were enjoying their picnic from afar and making sure that they weren't discovered by the red-headed teenager, who was happily feeding one of the pink-haired girls with a macaron.

Since the three of them were beautiful ladies, many men tried to flirt with them, but anyone who came near them was scared away by the golden snake, Dia, and the little puppy, Thor, who were making sure that no guys would get near Wendy and Estelle.

"Who are those two children?" Wendy asked Belle. "Do you know them?"

"Yes," Belle replied. "I believe their names are Maple and Cinnamon. William introduced them to me after our wedding."

"They're very cute," Estelle said softly. "I hope that my child with William will be as cute as them."

Wendy nodded, and Belle nodded in agreement. Who wouldn't like to have cute daughters like Maple and Cinnamon?

Just as the three were observing the two girls, they noticed William glancing in their direction. A second later, the Half-Elf waved his hand, as if greeting them from afar.

The three had no choice but to wave back because their covers were blown. They were not aware that William was able to pinpoint their location because Optimus could detect their presence from afar.

Half an hour later, the seven people met up to watch a movie together. After that, they had an early dinner, before going to the hotel that Belle had reserved earlier in the day for all of them.

Maple, and Cinnamon were taken away by Wendy, Estelle, and Belle, to their own rooms, leaving William and Cathy behind.

The Virtuous Lady of Hope told the three girls that she had some important matters to discuss with William, and she would be gone when morning came. This was why the three relented and allowed her to spend the night with the Half-Elf while they pampered the two adorable girls, who made them want to have babies of their own.

"Cathy, tell me the truth," William said as he lightly squeezed Cathy's hand as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "What is the real reason why you brought me to Earth? Why are Maple and Cinnamon here?"

The two of them were seated on a spacious bed, which was large enough to accommodate six people.

"Because, we needed to come here in order to meet Maple and Cinnamon," Cathy replied.

"Why?"

"Because the two of them can go anywhere."

Cathy raised her head and looked at William with a serious expression on her face. The teasing attitude she had earlier was now gone, and the Half-Elf could vaguely feel that the two of them were going to have a serious discussion from this point onwards.

"You might be thinking that the hardest part in saving your wives is to help them escape the Underworld," Cathy stated. "But, have you considered that getting to the Underworld is probably the hardest part? All of the entrances that can be used by mortals and immortals alike are closed right now.

Only the dead can go in the Underworld without being restricted by the blockade that the God of Death has put in place, to prevent you from barging inside his Domain. Your Father has used up his strength to allow you to use the hidden path inside the World Tree to go to the Underworld. Even if he had the strength to help you, that path is blocked as well, so it is useless."

The Half-Elf frowned because he didn't expect that all the entrances that led to the Underworld would be blocked. It seemed that after William had taken Erinys away from the Land of the Dead, Thanatos decided to prevent him from entering again to save his wives.

"For you to enter the Underworld, you will need Maple's and Cinnamon's help," Cathy explained. "But, even if you successfully enter the Underworld, you will be facing an army and, ultimately, the God of Death who rules it. Right now, it is impossible for you to beat him."

"Then, are you going to tell me how to beat him?" William asked.

"Beat him?" Cathy giggled. "You make it sound that beating a God is easy. No, Will. I'm not going to tell you how to beat him. Instead, I am going to tell you how to reach the Top floor of the Tower of Babylon without challenging the other floors.

"Both of us know that you are not interested in conquering those floors, and I will save you the time to do such a troublesome thing. Maple and Cinnamon can help you do that. Take note that they won't be able to stay for long, but do not worry. Those two have the habit of sneaking away whenever an opportunity arises.

"Hopefully, the next time those two little girls sneak away, you will have the means to fight against Thanatos. That way, you will be able to rescue your wives from his grasp."

William nodded his head in understanding.

He also didn't have the confidence to beat the God of Death in his own Domain. Perhaps, if the Primordial Goddess didn't favor him, Thanatos might have already snapped his neck, and imprisoned his soul in the rivers of hell before he could even take Erinys away from the Underworld, where she was born.

Chapter 1367 One Last Prank

William and Cathy talked about many things.

But, most of them were about the present.

The Virtuous Lady of Hope listened to the Half-Elf's worries, so that he could unload the uneasiness in his heart. When everything was done, the two went to take a bath together so that he could cool himself and relax.

"Feeling better?" Cathy asked as she wrapped her arms around William's neck.

? "A lot better," William replied. "Thank you, Cathy."

Whenever he was with Cathy, William found a sort of peace that was hard to describe. Perhaps it was because of her Divinity that represented Hope, the Half-Elf could instinctively feel that even though the future was filled with hardships, a chance still existed.

"Mmm," Cathy pressed her lips over William's as the latter wrapped his arms around her body.

She had already said that she wouldn't make love to him because she respected Priscilla's, Vesta's, and Pearl's wishes, but that didn't mean that she would not kiss him.

Unlike William's passionate kisses with his wife, Lilith, or the soft and gentle kisses he shared with Chiffon, Cathy's kiss was like the kiss of first love.

It was a very difficult feeling to explain. Having so many women, William had kissed all of them, and yet, when he kissed Cathy, it tasted so sweet, as if it was his first time kissing a girl.

A few minutes later, Cathy raised her body, and pressed the Half-Elf's face to her chest.

"It is going to be a while before we see each other, so make sure to drink until you're satisfied," Cathy said softly. "Tomorrow, you and the others will return to Hestia, and ask for Maple's and Cinnamon's help to go to the top floor of the Tower of Babylon. Only take Celeste with you, or you won't get to see the God of Familiars. Perhaps he holds the key to be able to complete your soul, so you will be whole once again."

"How long till I see you again?" William inquired.

"Patience, My Love," Cathy replied as she gently patted William's head. "Just as the sun will give way to the night, and the seasons change, we will reunite when the time is right. Until then, keep me close in your heart, always."

William kissed Cathy's right breast, which was as white as cream, and aching for his love. After that, he sank his fangs into those tender hills and drank slowly, savoring each drop.

Deep inside Cathy's Sea of Consciousness, all the ladies writhed because of the profound pleasure that washed over their bodies.

Erinys, Anh, Haleth, were already accustomed to this sensation, but it still made them unable to prevent the soft sighs of pleasure that escaped their lips.

The ones that were affected the most were Priscilla, Amelia, Pearl, and Vesta, most of whom had never had the opportunity of having their blood drunk by the Half-Elf.

Back then, William had sunk his fangs into Pearl after he fought her, when she failed to kidnap Charmaine from him. But, this incident had only happened once.

The Elf had already forgotten how that feeling almost drove her crazy in the past, and now, she was reliving the same experience, making her unable to tell which direction was left or right.

Time seemed to move painfully slow, as William drank Cathy's blood, while the latter brushed his hair, urging him to drink to his fill.

He had thought about it in the past, but out of all the ladies he had drunk blood from so far, Cathy's was the best tasting of them all. Also, her blood supply seemed endless. No matter how much William had drank back in the Deadlands, the mischievous lady was still lively, despite having drank several liters of her blood non-stop.

As William enjoyed the sweetness that Cathy brought him, her humming, which resembled a lullaby, reached his ears, making him feel sleepy, like a baby who had finished eating his meal.

—--------

Sunlight peeked inside the room, and touched the cheek of the Half-Elf who was currently lying in bed, making him slowly open his eyes.

He couldn't remember how he ended up in the bedroom. All that he could recall was the time when he was in the bathtub with Cathy, and the latter was humming him a lullaby.

But, no matter how sleepy William was, it all went away when he saw the scene that he found himself in.

Vesta was hugging his head like a pillow, as she slept above him.

Priscilla was sleeping on his left side, and resting her head on his chest, while her arm rested on his waist.

Amelia's head was resting on his abdomen, and her soft sleeper breaths was fanning the little guy who was standing tall and proud, ready to rumble at any given time as long as William wished it.

Pearl slept on his right side, hugging his arm, which was pressed against her voluptuous breasts. But, that was not all. William's hand was buried between her thighs, touching her…

It was the formula for trouble, and the Half-Elf's heart sank, knowing that this was a veeeeeeery elaborate setup to give him a wonderful start to his day.

Haleth, Erinys, and Anh, were all sleeping properly on the other side of the bed, with the two ladies hugging Erinys in the middle, as if she was something precious.

'Sh*t,' William thought.

He could already tell that the mischievous lady of Hope was the one that had set him up, giving him one last prank before leaving.

The red-headed teenager wouldn't have minded if the ones holding him were his lovers. However, the ones who were by his side were the ladies who weren't part of his harem, and one of them even wanted him dead in the past.

Left with no choice, the Half-Elf consulted the one person that wouldn't betray him.

'Optimus. Do you have a way to…'

< Will, don't raise flags. You already know what happens when you ask such a thing. >

As if proving him right, Pearl's eyelashes fluttered before slowly opening.

She gazed sleepily at William who was looking back at her with a calm expression on his face.

Since he was already riding the tiger's back, he decided to go all the way.

As the famous saying goes.

"People die when they are killed."

(A/N: All credits go to Shirou.)

"... What?" Pearl's eyes widened in shock when she noticed what she was hugging, and where William's hand was touching.

"I know that you won't believe me, but I still have to say it," William said with the most gentlemanly smile he could give. "Last night was amazing."

That was the last thing that William said before the entire bed shook, and the sleeping ladies by his side were awakened due to Pearl's earth-shattering scream.

Chapter 1368 Tell Me, Dark Prince, What Ls Your Reason For Coming Here?

"Make sure to follow Maple, or you might get lost."

"Please hold Cinnamon's hand, I like to walk together."

William, who had barely resolved the misunderstanding with the help of Erinys, Haleth, and Anh, held the hands of the two little girls as they walked towards the location of the crater, where K-City used to be.

He could faintly feel the connection that allowed the Bifrost Bridge to make a transfer to Earth, but it was still very unstable.

The Half-Elf was certain that he could only use it one last time before he had to wait for it to become stable enough for him to be able to use it again.

'I think the Bifrost Bridge was able to make the connection to Earth because it was Cathy that initiated the transfer,' William thought.

Maple and Cinnamon seemed to be in a very good mood after they woke up, so the two of them were quite lively as they dragged the Half-Elf towards their destination.

Earlier, when they left the hotel, the people they passed gave William looks of envy and jealousy. This was understandable because walking behind him were ten gorgeous ladies, who could easily become the cover of women's fashion magazines.

William even heard some of the men wishing for him to get hit by truck-kun as he left the hotel for being a winner in life.

What they didn't know was that he had already been hit by Truck-kun, after he died, sending him to Hestia, where he met the ladies that were currently walking behind him.

Pearl, whose face was still beet red, was at the very end of the line. After hearing William's explanation, she remembered that it was Cathy that carried the sleeping Half-Elf back to the bed.

Afterwards, the Virtuous Lady of Hope slept beside him, and all of them, who were inside Cathy's Sea of Consciousness, fell asleep as well.

William was clearly innocent, but Pearl still held a grudge.

Her reason was very simple. If she easily forgave the Half-Elf for what he had done to her sister, Charmaine, and also to her in the past, everything she worked hard for over the past few years would be in vain.

The Half-Elf was also guilty of brainwashing Charmaine at the beginning, so he didn't ask for Pearl to forgive him. He only told her that if there is an opportunity for him to make up for what he had done, he would do his best, no matter what Pearl asked of him.

"Chocolate cake is good~ same with all the food~" Maple sang as she swung William's right arm as they walked together.

"Vegetables are bad~ eating them makes me sad~" Cinnamon joined her sister as she swung William's left hand, imitating her sister.

"I thought we already established that eating vegetables is good?" William asked with amusement.

"Cinnamon will eat vegetables, but it still makes me sad," Cinnamon complained. "I just don't want Mama to be sad, so I'll eat it even if it's bitter!"

"That's right!" Maple nodded. "We will eat if it makes Mama happy."

William only smiled before using his Wind Magic to make all of them float in the air. Looking at the clear-blue sky above his head, the Half-Elf locked onto the point in the sky where he could feel the strongest connection with the Bifrost Bridge.

"Let's go," William said in a voice that was loud enough for everyone to hear him. "It's time to return to Hestia."

—-------------

A radiant light bathed everyone, making them momentarily close their eyes. When the light receded, they found themselves standing at the center of the Bifrost Bridge, with the Palace of Asgard right in front of them.

"All of you, wait for me in the Palace," William said. "I am taking Maple, Cinnamon, and Celeste with me to visit a place here in the Tower.

Although Wendy, Estelle, and Belle were reluctant to leave him, they decided to obey his words. The Half-Elf already told them what he was planning to do after he returned to Hestia, and since they were unable to come with him, they had no choice but to wait for his return.

"At least take Chloee with you," Wendy insisted. "In a way, she is also your Familiar, right? I don't think the Gods of Familiar would mind seeing her."

William pondered this for a moment before nodding his head.

"If it puts your mind at ease then I will take her with me," William replied.

After waiting for half an hour, Chloee, Celeste, and Claire, arrived at the Bifrost Bridge with expectant gazes.

"Are you really going to meet the God of Familiars?" Celeste asked as soon as she saw William. "Is there a way to resurrect Elliot and Conan?"

Celeste was a Familiamancer. The very first of its kind in Hestia. When William also acquired the same profession, she was quite happy about it because it meant that she was no longer alone.

However, before their profession could even spread in the world, they were engulfed in a storm, which made it impossible for them to escape without others sacrificing themselves for their sake.

If possible, Celeste wanted William to help revive Elliot and Conan, so the missing half of his soul would finally be complete again.

"If there is a way for them to revive, I will do it," William replied. "How many times have you met the God of Familiars?"

Celeste pondered for a bit as she tried to recall the number of times he had an audience with the God of Familiars, who resided at the very top of the Tower of Babylon, alongside two other Gods whom she hadn't met.

"Five," Celeste replied after a few minutes.

"What can you tell me about him?" William inquired.

Before Celeste could answer William's question, Chloee interjected and answered the question herself.

"He acts mysterious when he's just an old fart," Chloee stated.

"That's right," Claire supported her sister's statement. "He only contacts us when he needs a favor. It is really one-sided. Maybe it is time to settle the scores and use this as leverage against him."

Celeste didn't know if she should laugh or cry about her Familiars' description of the God of Familiars, who had chosen her to become his representative in Hestia.

"Well, what Chloee and Claire have said is true." Celeste admitted. "But, the God of Familiars never does things without a reason. When he asked me to make you a Familiamancer, I am sure that he had done it in good faith."

William nodded his head in understanding. He couldn't remember if he had met the God of Familiars in the past, because there were so many things happening around him, making him unable to recall if they had already had a meeting.

'It doesn't matter," William thought. 'I'll be seeing him now anyway.'

The Half-Elf lightly squeezed the soft, and delicate hands of the two little girls who were licking the lollipops that he had created for them, while waiting for Celeste, Chloee, and Claire to arrive.

"Maple, Cinnamon, can you take me to the top of this tower?" William asked.

"Okay," Maple replied.

"This is easy," Cinnamon answered.

The two little girls reluctantly let go of William's hands before pressing their hands together, intertwining with each other.

Maple and Cinnamon both closed their eyes, and a single glance was enough to tell them that they were concentrating on something.

Suddenly, a small spark appeared in front of them.

This spark moved in a circular motion until it grew bigger, and bigger, creating a portal.

Finally, the portal stabilized, showing the appearance of a place filled with stars.

"Let's go in before the portal closes," Maple said as she held onto William's right hand, pulling him towards the portal.

"Hurry up, hurry up, hurry hurry up~" Cinnamon grabbed hold of the Half-Elf's hand and pulled him as well.

Celeste was only two steps behind William, so as soon as the Half-Elf entered the portal, she was able to enter as well.

Chloee and Claire had taken their familiar forms, and sat on William's and Celeste's shoulders, just in case something unexpected happened.

"So, you're finally here."

An ancient voice echoed in the surroundings making William and Celeste look around them.

"Over here."

The Half-Elf and the Elf looked in the direction where the voice was coming from and they saw an old man, wearing white robes, with both of his hands clasped behind his back.

"I welcome you to the Top Floor of the Tower of Babylon," the old man gave a light bow. "Dark and difficult times lie ahead. So I won't bore you with lengthy speeches. Tell me, Dark Prince, what is your reason for coming here?"

Chapter 1369 Are You Willing To Pay The Price?[Part 1]

"Tell me, Dark Prince, what is your reason for coming here?"

Will gazed at the old man, who gave off a very different aura compared to that of his Grandpa, James, and the God of Shepherds, David.

The God of Familiars was like an old hermit who had seen everything there was to see in the world, and had stepped beyond the boundaries of Human greed. Even so, the Half-Elf was curious about why the old man was referring to him with such a title.

"I am no longer the Prince of Darkness," William replied.

The old man didn't reply to William's words, and simply smiled. He then waved his hand and a round table filled with food appeared in front of them. Chairs also appeared as the old man sat, and beckoned them to join him.

Maple and Cinnamon sat and began to eat the food on the table with as much grace as Chiffon did whenever she ate with William.

The Half-Elf, and the beautiful Elf beside him, didn't touch the food. Chloee and Claire remained seated on their shoulders as they eyed the God who allowed them to be born in the world.

"I think you misunderstand something about light and darkness," the God of Familiar said when he realized that William and Celeste had no plans to eat anything in front of them. "Darkness and Light are like a kitchen knife.

"If they are used to do good, then they can help prepare the most delicious dishes that would make people happy. However, if they are used to do harm to others, it can be a sharp blade that can stab people and end their life."

The God of Familiars then waved his hand and a projection appeared in front of them.

Scenes of mass slaughter by the Demons who had invaded the Central Continent could be seen in the projection.

William frowned when he saw the image of Felix, who was sitting on a throne that was mounted on a golden chariot. The green-haired Demon had a look of triumph on his face, as his Army of Darkness overwhelmed the defenders who were desperately trying to protect their Kingdom, from the Heir of Darkness, who wanted to conquer everything that he could set his eyes on.

"When you were the Prince of Darkness, you could have done the same," the God of Familiars said. "But, you didn't. You chose the least bloody method, which was to turn all the Elves into Drows and use that as leverage to make them bend to your will."

"The methods might be different, but the result is the same," William interjected. "I made them obey me by force. In your eyes, it might be less bloody than what happened in the Central Continent, but in the eyes of the Elves, it was the greatest curse that could befall them and it will haunt them for thousands of years.

"It's just a matter of how people die. They can die quickly and in great pain, or they can slowly live in shame, wishing they were dead."

William didn't think that what he did was right. He did things that needed to be done at that time because he needed the Elves to become his cannon fodder for the war against the Demons.

He didn't care about what would happen to the Elven Race.

The only things he cared about were his family, his Master, Celine, Charmaine and the Elves that served him, Acedia, and Celeste, who was Celine's twin sister.

"Right," the old man nodded in agreement. "What you did is inexcusable because you have taken an entire race hostage for your ambition. Just like the Pope did to the Believers of Light.

"She did what she thought was right in order to make sure that the Holy Order of Light would become the biggest, most influential, and strongest organization in the world. For that goal, she did many things that would not make her any different from a villain. The sad part was that when she died, all the respect that people had for her disappeared as well.

"Frankly, she died a very pitiful death. It is such a shame that Human greed and ambition can turn a once religious, and pious, woman into someone that would make you, the Prince of Darkness, look like a Saint. So, tell me, who won in the end?"

Before William could even answer the old man's question, Chloee, who was seated on his shoulder, raised her little fist and shouted.

"You old coot, stop talking in riddles!" Chloee shouted. "We didn't come here to listen to the ramblings of an old fogey. Tell us how to recover the other half of William's soul, and resurrect Elliot and Conan while you're at it!"

"That's right," Claire commented. "Making yourself sound like a wise sage is very unbecoming of you. A smelly old fart who just stays on top of the tower and watches the daily lives of mortals is similar to a pervert, who is taking a peek at the ladies while they bathe. Have you no shame? Stop talking in circles and just get to the point!"

The corner of God of Familiar's lips twitched when he heard the two little familiars complain. He was very tempted to say that the Peanut Gallery should just shut up and not get in the way of their discussion.

The God of Familiar then shifted his attention to Celeste, who averted her gaze in embarrassment. Both of her familiars had been through a lot and they no longer looked at the God of Familiars as if he was the most benevolent being, especially after Elliot and Conan died.

The God of Familiars decided to ignore the two disrespectful little familiars, and shifted his attention back to the Half-Elf, who was looking at him with a solemn gaze.

"Now where was I? Oh yeah, don't look at Light and Darkness as if they are simply black and white, with white being good, and black being bad," the God of Familiars stated. "When you and the Pope fought each other, your side was the one that won the war. I'm not saying that what you did, and what she did was right.

"The battle between the two of you was inevitable. If you didn't fight her then she would have come to cause trouble for you. It is clearly evident that both of you could not coexist under the same sky. However, she found a compromise. Do you know what that was?"

William nodded. "She wanted the version of me without my memories, so that she could brainwash me to do her bidding."

"Right," the God of Familiars said. "She understood that having you was more beneficial to her. It was similar to you capturing the World Tree and making all the Elves submit to you. The Pope thought that once you were in her hands, your subordinates would bow to her will as well."

Chloee clicked her tongue and once again raised her small fist in anger.

"So, what does this whole conversation lead up to?" Chloee asked. "You've been talking about light and dark and black and white for what purpose?"

The God of Familiar chuckled before answering Chloee's question.

"Because in the great battle that all of you will face in the not so distant future, you will need all the help you can get," the God of Familiars replied. "Whether it be on the side of light, or on the side of darkness, you will need both sides to work hand in hand, or all will be lost."

The gaze that the God of Familiars was giving the Half-Elf was so sharp, that even Chloee flinched when his gaze landed on her small frame.

Chapter 1370 Are You Willing To Pay The Price?[Part 2]

"Stop spouting nonsense old man." Chloee scoffed after she managed to regain her composure. "We already know this. Will already has a plan to unite the entire world for this battle. Isn't that right, Will?"

? William blinked. "I do?"

"This is the part where you will just nod and say yes," Chloee complained as she poked WIlliam's cheeks. "Don't make me look bad in front of this old fogey."

William could only smile bitterly as he listened to Chloee's complaint. The Half-Elf knew that lying to a God was impossible, so he didn't dare say that he already had everything under control.

After his talk with Cathy, the Virtuous Lady of Hope gave him hints about what to do after he returned to Hestia. Visiting the God of Familiars was only one of them.

Two years.

This was the amount of time remaining before the Army of Destruction came knocking on their door with full force.

In those two years, William must meet with all the rulers of the Central, Southern, Western (Gunnar Federation), Eastern (Silvermoon Continent), and Northern (Demon Realm) Continents, and tell them of the upcoming threat.

The Half-Elf was certain that none of them was going to believe him. Even so, he must find a way to make them believe, so that all the forces of Hestia could unite under one banner, and fight with everything they had against the Army of Destruction.

"Your, Excellency, I can understand what you are trying to say, but for now, let's discuss the main reason why I came here," William said as he covered Chloee's lips because he could tell that the little familiar was about to spout off a litany of profane words, condemning the old man for wasting their time.

"Can you please tell me how the other half of my soul could be restored?" William inquired.

"I can tell you how, but I don't know if it will work," the God of Familiars answered. "This is the first time that something like this has happened, so there is no precedent. Even so, we won't know until we try, right?"

The God of Familiars didn't want to give William false hope. He truly didn't know if it was possible to restore the other half of William's soul, and resurrect the two familiars that had died.

"Come with me," the God of Familiars ordered as he opened a golden portal beside him. "Let's go to the Graveyard of Familiars."

Will nodded and stood up from his seat. However, just before he could walk towards the portal, Maple and Cinnamon grabbed hold of his hands.

"We're coming with you," Maple stated.

"Cinnamon wants to see!" Cinnamon raised her free hand as a way to insist that she must go.

William smiled as he looked at the two little girls, whose cheeks were still stained with food sauces.

He used his water and wind magic to clean the faint traces on their cheeks before taking them inside the golden portal where the God of Familiars was waiting.

Celeste was only a few steps away because she also wanted to see the Graveyard of Familiars.

Chloee, and Claire, on the other hand, had solemn expressions on their faces. Part of them were scared to see what lay on the other side, while the other half was feeling hopeful that something good would happen once they entered the portal.

Contrary to what they expected, the Graveyard of Familiars wasn't a gloomy place like those cemeteries in horror films.

It was a land of perpetual sunshine, and the place was incredibly beautiful. Trees, flowers, short bridges, and small brooks could be seen all around them.

After walking for ten minutes, they arrived at a small shrine, where two crystals were placed on an altar.

William bit his lip and his eyes moistened when he saw two familiar faces, whose eyes were closed in a peaceful sleep inside the two crystals.

They were none other than the red-headed teenager's familiars, Elliot and Conan.

His two best friends who had sacrificed their lives in order to help him survive against a God, whose desire for conquest and chaos was second to none.

"They were born because you used your soul as the catalyst for their birth," the God of Familiars said softly. "Because of this, they were stronger than ordinary familiars. You and them shared the same root, and because of that, they didn't hesitate to face death fearlessly."

The God of Familiars sighed in his heart as he looked at the two familiars, who seemed to have been frozen in time.

"You ask me if there is a chance for you to recover your soul then the answer is yes," the God of Familiars stated. "But, if you ask me if there is a chance for you to resurrect them after you've recovered your soul, the answer is no."

The old man faced William and looked at him with all the seriousness that he could muster.

"William, you need to make a choice," the God of Familiars gestured at the two crystals on the altar. "If you want your souls back, all you need to do is smash those crystals. Once Elliot's and Conan's bodies are destroyed, your soul will naturally return to you."

The God of Familiars moved to the side and placed both of his hands behind his back. "Once a familiar dies, they can revive an infinite number of times, as long as their summoner is alive. But, this is only true on the condition that they do not unleash their full power, breaking the vessel in which their souls are kept.

"Just like a broken jar of water, no matter how much water you pour inside it, all of its contents would disappear in time. When the last drop of water falls, their time in the mortal realm comes to an end.

"Their souls then appear here in the Graveyard of the Familiars, as their final resting place. So, tell me, Dark Prince, are you willing to pay the price for your soul to become whole again?"

William's lips were pressed firmly together.

He had no intention of desecrating the bodies of Elliot and Conan who did everything in their power to protect him.

If he were to really smash the crystals, and destroy their bodies in order to regain the other half of his soul, he was very certain that he would lose more than whatever he would gain after doing such a bastardly act.

An act that would make him lose what he held sacred, and make him no different from Felix, who threw away his pride, and dignity, for the sake of gaining the power of Darkness.

Chapter 1371 One Hundred Worlds

"I can't do it," William said as he rested his hands on the two Soul Crystals that served as Elliot's and Conan's coffins.

"I see." The God of Familiars closed his eyes.

In truth the old man didn't want to see William shatter the soul crystals because, for him, it was like killing his own children in front of him.

Although Elliot and Conan were already dead, as the God of Familiars, it pained him to look at the dead familiars, who were part of the first generation of familiars in the World of Hestia.

"Is there really no other way?" William asked.

"That is the only one I know of," the God of Familiars replied. "Since you don't want to do it then we will have to do something else."

Chloee and Claire felt relieved in their hearts. Having interacted with Elliot and Conan, they didn't want their vessels to be desecrated. They knew that one day, they too, would be housed within the Grave of Familiars when their time was over.

Knowing that their final resting place could be visited by their former Masters gave them a form of closure as well.

Maple and Cinnamon looked at the two Soul Crystals for a few seconds before picking them up.

"They look so lonely here, why don't you take them, Will?" Maple asked.

"Cinnamon thinks that they would be less lonely if you take them with you," Cinnamon stated.

William knelt so that he could come in eye contact with the two little girls as he patted both of their heads.

"They do look lonely here," William commented. "Where do you two think I should take them?"

Maple and Cinnamon glanced at each other before pointing at William's chest.

"You place them in that world with a clear blue sky," Maple answered.

"The one with the blue sea that has many weapons sticking out of it," Cinnamon replied.

William blinked because the place that the two girls were describing was none other than his Sea of Consciousness.

"Do both of you think that they will be happier if I place them there?" William asked.

Maple and Cinnamon both nodded their heads as they handed the two Soul Crystals to William.

"Always carry them with you," Maple said.

"That way, they won't have to pay rent," Cinnamon replied. "The tenants of Great Grandpa always complain that their rent is expensive. They insist that he is scamming them."

"Grandpa is a good person. He buys us a lot of toys."

"Cinnamon thinks that Grandpa is good as well. He doesn't mind using the family fortune to buy us food."

The corner of William's lips twitched because the two girls were singing the praises of their Great Grandpa, who liked to scam others, but spoil them rotten.

"Your Excellency, can I take them with me?" William asked the God of Familiars who was standing beside him.

"I don't mind," the God of Familiars replied. "Place them in your Sea of Consciousness. They will return here after you die. So, I don't mind."

William nodded and took the Soul Crystals from the hands of the two girls. He then closed his eyes, turning the two crystals into particles of light that were absorbed by the gem in his chest.

A moment later, the red-headed teenager's consciousness went inside his Sea of Consciousness.

There, he saw the two crystals floating at its center, surrounded by the weapons that were embedded in the surface of the sea.

He tried to detect if there were any changes on the soul crystals, but after a few minutes of critical observation, he felt that nothing seemed to be out of place.

"Although it's a bit late to say this,... thank you, both of you," William said as he gently touched the two soul crystals. "I missed you guys."

A few minutes later, William opened his eyes in the real world. There were still many things that he needed to do, so he couldn't stay long inside his Sea of Consciousness.

"Take good care of them," the God of Familiars said. "I will now send all of you back to the Floor of Asgard. The next time we meet, I hope that the matters of this world will have already been resolved. Celeste, the answer to what you are looking for cannot be seen in the world around you. It is here, where you will find the answers."

The God of Familiars smiled as he pointed his thumb on his chest.

"Uncle, can we get all the food as take out?" Maple asked. "There is still plenty that we weren't able to eat earlier."

"Mama said that it is not good to waste food," Cinnamon said. "We will take them back as snacks."

The God of Familiars laughed before nodding his head.

"Okay, I'll have them packed and delivered to you later," the God of Familiar stated. "May the wind be always at your backs, and may the sun shine warm upon your faces. Goodbye for now."

The God of Familiars waved his hand, and a flash of light enveloped William and the others, sending them back to the Floor of Asgard.

A few seconds later, two figures appeared beside the God of Familiars.

"It's quite unfortunate that we might not be able to see the one who would be able to climb to top of this tower during this world's lifetime," a middle-aged man said softly. "After all, they will soon arrive here."

"We have already prepared to move the Tower of Babylon to another world if the inhabitants of Hestia aren't able to resist the Army of Destruction," a Goddess stated. "Now that the armies of this world have been decimated thanks to their senseless wars, the chances of victory are slim. Even the Prince of Darkness has no idea how to win."

The God of Familiars sighed.

One hundred worlds.

That was the number of Worlds that had been destroyed ever since they had founded the Tower of Babylon. Of course, the number of worlds that the Army of Destruction had destroyed far surpassed that number.

The three Gods were the last survivors of their world. Hoping that they would be able to nourish heroes that could counter the might of the Gods of Destruction, the Tower of Babylon was made.

For each world that was destroyed, a new floor would be added to the Tower.

The three Gods meant well, but they had still underestimated human Greed. Instead of building a place where they could grow and become more powerful, they used the Domains they conquered in order to antagonize other people.

"Like always, we will wait till the very last minute," the God of Familiars said softly. "Only when this world is about to be destroyed shall we leave. If there is even a sliver of victory, remember our oath. We will do everything in our power to help."

"Of course," the middle-aged man replied.

"But, only if there is a sliver of hope," the Goddess stated. "All three of us want nothing more than to see those three Gods of Destruction face their demise. As long as the possibility exists, I will lead the charge if I have to."

The God of Familiars nodded his head.

"Then so be it," the God of Familiars, who was now the last bastion of the world, looked down on the Floor of Asgard. "Let them decide the fate of this world with their own hands."

Chapter 1372 L Will Make Sure That Your Hands Will Not Be Dirtied

William, Maple, Cinnamon, and Celeste reappeared on the Bifrost Bridge after they were sent back to the Floor of Asgard by the God of Familiars.

"Thank you for coming with me, Celeste," William said. "Having you there helped me a lot."

"You're welcome," Celeste replied. "What is your next plan?"

Even though Elliot's and Conan's Soul Crystals were now inside his Sea of Consciousness, there were no changes in the fluctuations of his soul.

The other half of William's Soul, which was still recovering inside the Bell of Athanasia, was still in hibernation, leaving him with only a quarter of his soul inside his body.

Optimus had told the Half-Elf that most of his abilities required him to have a complete soul, allowing him to use his full powers without fearing of receiving a backlash.

Since the problem with his soul would not be fixed anytime soon, the red-headed teenager decided to have a conference with the Kraetor empire, ruled by Emperor Leonidas, who was also Princess Sidonie's grandfather, and the Amazon Empire, which was managed by Lilith's mother, Empress Andraste.

They were the only two people that he could count on to influence the other Kings and Emperors of the Central Continent.

What the Half-Elf wished was to have a conference with all the sovereigns of the world.

Only by making them understand that the threat of the Army of Destruction was real, would they be able to create a united front to resist these invaders from the void.

'But, how will I be able to convince them?' William pondered as he walked hand in hand with the two pink-haired girls, heading toward the Palace of Asgard.

Truth be told, If William wished for it, he could force all the nations of the world to do his bidding. He had enough manpower to do that, and the Pseudo-Gods under his command were the greatest deterrence ever.

Now that the white-robed figure wearing a mask and Belle were no longer working for the Pope, he had two additional Pseudo-Gods on his side.

The only other organization which had one Pseudo-God on their side was Hestia Academy, but they were a neutral party, and were also aware that the Army of Destruction was coming. He didn't need to convince them, which was already a good thing.

'As the Headmaster of Hestia Academy, I'm sure Byron would be more than willing to help me convince the other rulers to cooperate in a more peaceful manner,' William pondered.

Currently, the armies of the Central Continent were in tatters. During the previous war against Felix, many soldiers died, and entire armies were decimated.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that most nations only had half of their previous military power now. Some even had less than half, making them extremely pitiful.

'Beggars can't be choosers.' the Half-Elf sighed internally.

The red-headed teenager was very tempted to issue a decree, commanding all able-bodied men and women within the lands he ruled, to have compulsory military training.

His reason was extremely simple. If they lost the war, it wouldn't matter if people chose to fight or not. Once William, and his allies lost, no one would be spared, and all living creatures in the world would die.

Naturally, he didn't want to do this. But, he had to make sure that anyone who was capable of taking up arms, could and would fight for everything they held sacred in the world.

The moment they arrived at the Palace, William gathered his subordinates and started a conference.

He asked for their advice on how to convince the other nations to unite under one banner.

"Your Majesty, this is such a simple problem that even I can single-handedly accomplish it within a month," Nisha replied. "All we need to do is send Astrape and Bronte to their doorstep and deliver your message personally. I'm pretty sure that they will be more than happy to hear you out if we use this method."

Astrape and Bronte nodded their heads in agreement. They were more than willing to do everything for William, so talking to some mortal Kings, and Emperors wasn't a big deal to them. If the fools decided to ignore their words, they would just snap their necks and appoint new rulers on their thrones.

New rulers that would listen to their every order, as if their lives depended on it.

"Worry not, Your Majesty," Nisha continued. "I will make sure that your hands will not be dirtied. Your humble servant is willing to take all responsibility and handle this matter in the most effective manner possible."

Loxos, who was also present in the throne room, raised her hand to catch William's attention.

"Yes, Loxos?" William asked as he looked at the excited looking young lady who was desperately trying to catch his attention.

After getting William's attention, the young nymph smiled as she told him something she discovered while exploring the Palace of Light.

"There is this conference room in the Palace of Light, with several round mirrors on the wall," Loxos stated. "All of them are communication artifacts, which the Pope used to have a conference with all the rulers of the Central Continent. If you use that conference room, you will be able to talk to them with ease."

The Seven Virtues who were inside the throne room, realized then and there that they had overlooked this matter.

In truth, the Virtuous Ladies had no interest in talking to the sovereigns of the world, so it was always the Pope who handled such affairs. This was why they had completely forgotten about this matter.

"Perfect," Nisha smiled. "With this, our major problem is solved. But, there is still one place we need to visit."

William, who was just listening in on the conversation, leaned his back on the throne because he knew the place that Nisha was talking about.

The Demon Continent and the Silvermoon Continent were under William's rule. The Southern Continent could be easily convinced because that place was his home turf.

Since that was the case, there was only one more place that needed to be visited, and that was none other than the Western Continent, which was a third of the size of the Central Continent.

'It's finally time to visit the Gunnar Federation,' William thought as he eyed Ephemera, who nodded her head at him in understanding.

The Virtuous Lady of Justice was born in the Western Continent. If there was someone he needed to ask about its affairs, it would be none other than the purple-haired lady, who was now one of his lovers.

Chapter 1373 One Who Didn't Wish For Dominion

"There are twenty kingdoms under the Gunnar Federation, but the two kingdoms who hold the most power are Quince, and my home country, Edelweiss," Ephemera explained to everyone in the throne room.

"However, there is one more kingdom that refused to become part of the Federation. Even so, none of their neighboring kingdoms had a problem with it because this third kingdom has minded their own business, and hasn't harassed their neighbors."

A smile appeared on Ephemera's face as she remembered the stubborn, and straightforward residents of the kingdom that she had the opportunity to interact with before she came to the Central Continent.

"Are you talking about the Dwarven Kingdom of Beldaral?" Nisha asked.

Ephemera nodded her head. "As expected of the supreme leader of Deus. you are even aware of the affairs of the Western Continent."

"It is best not to place all your eggs in a single basket," Nisha replied. "The Western Continent was my Plan B if ever the Holy Order of Light was able to root us out of the Central Continent. Fortunately, the Pope didn't have that ability, so I was able to expand my influence across the lands."

Nisha had indeed managed to survive for the past few years due to her quickwittedness and boldness. Because of this, although the Holy Order of Light was more powerful than her organization, they were unable to take them down as both sides battled in the shadows.

"I guess we have our work cut out for us," Nisha stated. "I will handle the matters here in the Central Continent. Your Majesty, please handle the affairs of the Gunnar Federation and try to convince them to join our side.

"Although the kingdoms in the Western Continent liked to scheme against each other from time to time, they haven't experienced any large scale wars over the past century. The strongest existences in that part of the world are Four Demigods. If you manage to make them submit to you, the chances of convincing the leaders to lend you an ear will be high."

Ephemera could only smile bitterly after hearing this.

Two years ago, the strongest existences that were known to the world were Demigods. Pseudo-Gods didn't exist. But now, after the battle at the Northern Continent, these powerful beings suddenly appeared, breaking the natural balance that was known to all the mortals of the realm.

"If the soft approach doesn't work, just pound those Demigods into submission," Nisha stated. "We don't have much time, so it will be best to start with the big fishes first before we handle the smallfrie– I mean before we handle the Kings of the various Kingdoms."

Nisha couldn't help but smirk behind the veil covering her face because she now had the ability to call the Kings and Emperors of the various nations small fries.

She was William's steward. Aside from him, no one could command her to do anything. Also, she had the power to mobilize the Half-Elf's forces, including the Pseudo-Gods under his command, whenever he wasn't around to give orders.

Because of this, the Demonic Continent and the Ainsworth Empire were able to avoid any mishaps because she wasn't afraid to use firm, and effective, methods—like feeding those that opposed her rule to the fishes.

Hundreds of troublemakers had already been dealt with in that manner, serving as a reminder to those who were planning to cause chaos in WIlliam's territories to behave themselves, or else they would be given a one-way ticket to the Underworld.

"Very well, we will go with this plan." William nodded his head in agreement. "Astrape, Bronte, and Titania will accompany me to the Western Continent. Opis, Loxos, Hekaergos, Sepheron, and Triton will defend the Ainsworth Empire."

William then shifted his attention to the Bull Demon King who had his head lowered. When the Half-Elf was still the Dark Prince, he used his power as a Shepherd to subjugate the proud Pseudo-God, forcing him to obey him.

In the face of such overwhelming power, the Bull Demon King had no choice but to bow his head, or suffer further torture in William's hands, who didn't bat an eye at scorching Princess Iron Fan's face, as punishment for killing Kasogonaga, Erchitu, Psoglav, and Jareth, as well as his other loyal supporters.

"Bull Demon King, I will leave the protection of the Demon Continent in your hands," William said coolly. "Do you understand?"

The Bull Demon King raised his head and gave William a respectful bow. "You can count on me, Your Majesty."

The red-headed teenager had no intention of letting the Bull Demon King go easy for everything that happened in the past. Although his friends were having concerts in the Underworld, and having a good time, that didn't mean that he could easily forgive the perpetrators of their deaths.

If not for the fact that they still had their uses to him, the Half-Elf would have turned both of them into mindless puppets using the power of Darkness.

"Your Majesty, forgive me for my insolence, but will the promise given to me by the old Dark Prince still hold true?" the Bull Demon King asked.

The Half-Elf nodded. "It is still in effect. Whatever promises I made with you back then, I will keep."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I promise to fulfill your order to the best of my ability."

"Good."

William then stood from his throne, as he scanned the faces of the people around him.

"We only have two years," William announced. "Whether we survive or not will depend on our efforts today. That's why, I ask all of you to cooperate, now is not the time for strife. There must be no internal conflict. Everyone must work hard to the best of their abilities, so when the time comes for us to make our last stand, we will have no regrets because we have done everything that we could."

William closed his eyes for half a minute as he reminisced that fateful day when the world was bathed in the fires of destruction.

Even after several lifetimes, that memory haunted him still.

Back then, he died with many regrets, and had broken many promises.

"Go," William ordered as he waved his hand. "From this moment onwards, our war preparations have officially started."

Everyone in the throne room gazed at the red-headed teenager who carried the burden of the world on his shoulders.

They couldn't help but feel amazed by how a single person was able to rise up to his current position, despite the fact that he never wished for dominion.

Chapter 1374 The Giants Are Coming [Part 1]

"We're flying~"

"Cinnamon is flying too~"

After arriving in the Western Continent with the help of Astrape, and Bronte, William summoned a flying ship in order to continue his journey.

Ephemera, who was his guide, told Will where to go, and the flying ship soared in the sky, headed to the Dwarven Kingdom of Beldaral.

The Half-Elf had wanted to visit the Demigods first and convince them to join their side. But, after thinking about it carefully, he didn't want to go out of his way to travel everywhere to look for them.

Because of this, he decided to head straight to the Dwarven Kingdom first, and have an audience with its King. He hoped that after the two of them met, the reclusive kingdom would agree to join their side when the time to fight against the Army of Destruction had arrived.

Naturally, he didn't come alone. Almost everyone, including the Seven Heavenly Virtues, accompanied Will on his journey.

However, the majority of them were staying inside the Thousand Beast Domain, enjoying the comforts that it brought them.

With the help of Optimus, Will had built an Antenna inside his Domain, that was directly connected to the Bifrost Bridge, allowing it to get signals directly from Earth.

Because of Erinys' influence, the ladies were suddenly introduced to the world of television, movies, and telenovelas.

It didn't take long for the girls to become addicted to it, and asked Will if he could put T.V's in their bedrooms, so that they could watch the shows inside the villa.

Due to their own personal tastes, they often watched different shows during their free time.

For example, Haleth and Charmaine preferred watching the cooking channels because it allowed them to discover new, and delicious, dishes that they could serve to everyone.

Shannon, on the other hand, asked Erinys to help her purchase Otome Games, making the Fox Lady hole up inside her room as she tried to clear the different routes, whenever she wasn't busy painting on her canvas.

Everyone was going at their own pace, but one thing was clear. This time, they would go with William wherever he went, even if they were just staying inside his Thousand Beast Domain.

"We're almost there," Ephemera, who stood beside Wiliam, said as she pointed at the towering mountains in the distance. "The Dwarves have made that entire mountain range their fortress, and their cities are found underneath those mountains. This is also one of the reasons why no Kingdom has dared to invade them, even though they are not part of the Gunnar Federation."

When the flying ship neared the mountains, over a dozen Wyverns flew in their direction.

These were not ordinary Wyverns, because they were the flying mounts of the Dwarven Wyvern Riders, who protected the skies of their Kingdom.

"Halt!" one of the Dwarves riding a Wyvern shouted. "This is the territory of Beldaral! State your name and business for coming here!"

The other Wyvern Riders circled the flying ship and aimed their hand-held cannons at it. If the people inside it resisted their inquiry, they would not hesitate to shoot it down from the sky.

William didn't want to have any conflicts with the Dwarven Kingdom, so he immediately stopped the flying ship from moving, allowing it to simply hover in the sky.

"My name is William Von Ainsworth," William replied. "I have come here to talk to your King to discuss very important matters."

"What Kingdom do you belong to?" the Dwarf asked in an annoyed tone. "How many times must we say that we are not interested in joining the Gunnar Federation! No matter how many envoys you send, our King's decision will not change."

William gave the Dwarf his most dazzling smile in order to calm the tension, however, after seeing that the Half-Elf was more handsome than he was, the Dwarf aimed his hand cannon at the Half-Elf's face, and was itching to shoot him down.

Seeing that his action backfired on him, the Half-Elf raised both of his arms in surrender as he tried to negotiate with the Dwarf whose finger was itching to pull the trigger.

"Violence is bad!" Maple shouted as she placed both of her hands on her waist. "Uncle should know how to talk properly. Everything can be resolved through food and drinks."

"Cinnamon is a little hungry," Cinnamon commented. "Uncle, do you have some Dwarven candy with you?"

Seeing the two pink-haired girls standing in front of the Half-Elf, the Dwarf was forced to lower his weapon, so that the two girls wouldn't be scared of him.

"Are those two Dwarves?" another Dwarf asked as his wyvern moved closer towards the ship.

His name was Vaggron, and he was the Captain of the Wyvern Riders of Beldaral. The reason why he didn't introduce himself earlier was because he was closely observing William, and his entourage, from a distance to see if they were a threat to their kingdom.

He was unable to discern their ranks, which made him raise his guard. Only people stronger than him had the ability to hide their inner presence from him.

However, when the two girls appeared, it reminded him of someone, making him take a closer look at them.

"Little girls, what are your names?" Vaggron asked.

"My name is Maple," Maple replied.

"Cinnamon is my name," Cinnamon answered.

The Dwarf captain frowned. No matter how much he searched his memories, he couldn't match any name to the two girls' faces. However, one thing was certain, he could vaguely sense Dwarven blood in their bodies.

Vaggron then shifted his attention to the Half-Elf who still had his arms raised in the air in surrender. Judging from how he acted, he could tell that he didn't want to escalate the situation, so he decided to hear them out for the time being.

"William, was it?" Vaggron said as he looked at the red-headed teenager. "Which kingdom do you hail from?"

Seeing that the dwarf was willing to hear him out, the Half-Elf lowered his hands and introduced himself properly.

"Once again, my name is William Von Ainsworth," William replied. "I am the Emperor of the Ainsworth Empire that hails from the Central Continent."

Vaggron frowned after hearing William's reply. He was carrying an artifact that could detect lies, but since there was no reaction from it, he assumed that what the Half-Elf was saying was true.

Although the Dwarves almost didn't travel outside of their domain, that didn't mean that they weren't aware of what was happening in the world.

The Dwarves that were living in the other cities of the Gunnar Federation would regularly send them the latest news and rumors that were being spread about the various Kingdoms.

One of them was the war that was happening in the Central Continent, where powerful beings that surpassed the Rank of Demigods were said to be decimating the armies of the Kingdoms in the Central Continent.

When the Dwarves first heard it, they treated it as simply nonsense. How could there be beings that were stronger than Demigods?

However, their King was different.

He took this news seriously, and ordered his army to stay vigilant and issued a command to all Dwarves that were living outside of the Dwarven Kingdom to keep them updated if any signs of the war were to spill over to the Western Continent.

"An Emperor?" Vaggron eyed the Half-Elf from head to foot. "Someone as young as you is an Emperor in the Central Continent?"

"Yes," William replied. "Is there a problem?"

"I'm finding it very hard to believe your claim."

"Well, the fact still remains that I am indeed an Emperor, but I will have to agree that I don't look like one."

William couldn't help but shake his head bitterly because he really didn't have the aura and charisma of a ruler.

"Okay, let's say that for a minute I believed you," Vaggron stated. "You said you wanted to talk to our King, but what do you want to talk to him about?"

The Half-Elf stared at Vaggrom with a complicated look on his face. In truth, he also didn't know how to start the discussion about the Army of Destruction without making it sound like a crazy story.

After organizing his thoughts, he gazed steadily at the Dwarven Captain before answering his question.

"Giants," Will replied. "The Giants are coming."