Chapter 1397 When The World All Fight As One
"Unbelievable," Alexis muttered as he stood on the Bifrost Bridge and stared at the Palace of Asgard in the distance. "So this is the legendary 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon."
The other Kings shared his sentiment as they gazed at the Floor that belonged to the Half-Elf, whose name had resounded to all the corners of the world, proclaiming him to be the true conqueror of the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon.
After Kieron decided to join the Grand Alliance, the other Kings felt that they had nothing more to lose, so they decided to join as well.
As they walked the shimmering rainbow bridge, they noticed that they weren't alone. Several other people, wearing crowns on their heads, stood at the center of the bridge, as if waiting for their arrival.
Among them was someone that Wiliam recognized right away, and it was none other than, the King of the Hellan Kingdom, and Estelle's father, Noah Ernest Vi Hellan.
Three other people were with him, and among them was a young teenager, whose age wouldn't exceed fifteen years old, wearing a crown on his head.
He was none other than Princess Sidonie's little brother, King Carl, who had taken over the Anaesha Dynasty that she had left in the Southern Continent when she came to the Central Continent with William.
-n0ve1,com Right beside the young king was a man in his early twenties with short purple hair, and eyes, who was also wearing a crown. He also caught the half elf's attention.
He was none other than Princess Aila's older brother, Alaric Sol Zelan, who was now the King of the Zelan Dynasty.
The fourth King was the King of Freesia, who was Princess Sidonie's birth father. He was already in his early sixties, and yet, he still looked like he could ride a bull just by using his two legs.
They were the Sovereigns that represented the Southern Continent, and they had answered William's call and joined his Grand Alliance.
"Your Majesties, welcome to the Floor of Asgard," William said as he gave the four kings a brief nod of acknowledgement.
Nisha had painstakingly told him that he shouldn't bow down, and should get used to addressing other people of the same rank with a brief nod as a sign of respect.
The Half-Elf almost always forgot this because in his heart, he didn't feel like an Emperor, but in order to not make his steward, who had been overworked as of late, nag at him, he decided to pay heed to his actions, so she wouldn't force him undertake an etiquette training on how an Emperor should act in front of other people.
"It has been a long time, William," King Noah replied. "I still can't believe that the young man whom I had knighted as my Knight Commander, is now an Emperor. You have really come a long way, my boy."
"A lot of things happened," William stated. "Things that were outside of my control."
King Noah nodded in understanding. "How is Estelle? Is she well?"
"Yes. She is currently inside my Domain."
"When will your wedding be held? It's not good to delay these things since the end of the world is fast approaching. I still want to hold my grandson before we all kick the bucket."
The Kings who heard King Noah's words gave him a weird look.
Bruh, this is not the right time to be making babies. Are you mad?
Even William, who wanted to have babies of his own, knew that now was not the time for this. Estelle was one of the fighters that would participate in the battle, so he didn't want her to fight so soon after giving birth to their child.
Also, he didn't want to make babies irresponsibly, especially when the world was facing a crisis. This was why, his child with Celine, who was currently in the Elysian Fields, would be his only child, until they had won the war against the Army of Destruction.
"Let's go inside the Palace," William said in order to change the subject. "The other Kings are gathered there right now."
The Half-Elf walked briskly, almost leaving everyone behind.
King Noah chuckled as he followed the boy whom his daughter had liked since the day they had undergone the Trial of Courage together, and fought against the Cyclops Monster with everything they had.
A quarter of an hour later, William arrived in the Halls of Valhalla, where the Kings were waiting for him.
All of them were seated as they waited for his arrival.please visit p(anda-n0ve1.co)m
Nisha, who was William's steward, stood beside the High Throne, where Odin would sit whenever he dined with the Einherjars during their feasts.
She was waiting for the Half-Elf to take his place, and look down on the other sovereigns, who were seated on an elevation lower than the throne.
However, instead of going to the throne, William summoned an ordinary chair, and sat down at the base of the steps, leading to it, and faced the Kings who had come to join him to fight against the war.
When Nisha saw this, the latter only bitterly shook her head before walking down the stairs, to stand by his side.
She was William's steward, and the manager of his Harem.
If his Emperor wanted to sit on a simple wooden chair then she would let him do it.
However, once the conference was over, she would make sure to have a private talk with him, inside his bedroom, while the two of them were connected.
The Majority of the kings gave William a nod of approval in their heart because he was treating them as equals, and not someone who was in a position that was higher than them.
This made those who didn't know him change their opinion of him, which made the atmosphere inside the Halls of Valhalla, where the bravest warriors in the world gathered, become less tense.
"I'm sure that my Steward, Nisha, had already told everyone about the dangers that we will be facing," William said. "All of you gathered here today are the Monarchs of your respective nations and, because you care for your people, have decided to join the war that will end all wars. For this, I will be forever grateful."
William paused for a bit before waving his hand.
A projection of the battle of Ragnarok appeared behind him, showing everyone the fight in the Half-Elf's perspective from start to finish.
Just as if they were watching a movie in the cinema, the Kings and their escorts couldn't help but feel their blood boiling, both in fear and anger, as they watched the brave men and women fight against the giants who towered above them.
However, one thing stood out to them while they were watching the battle.
None of the warriors retreated.
They fought with everything they had, until their weapons and bodies broke.
The Kings' gazed at this scene and felt their heart ache for they knew that even after breathing their last, these brave warriors never backed down, and fought until the bitter end.
The battle wasn't that long, and it wasn't that short either. All in all, it lasted for two hours, with the final scene of a silver-haired warrior, dying in the embrace of his beloved Elf, until both of their bodies were burned to ashes.
The scenes they had watched had touched their hearts, and souls, in ways that they never thought possible.
After the projection faded, no one mentioned anything about the silver-haired warrior looking like the red-headed teenager, who was seated in front of them. That was not important.
The important part was that they had seen what their enemies were capable of, and those who were proficient in the art of war started to formulate the things that they might have done differently, if they had been on that battlefield.
"Today, I officially declare the birth of the Grand Alliance," William announced. "Now. Let us start our discussion about how we will deal with these invaders from the Void."
After talking with his Grandpa, James, William knew that there was no use in worrying about the future, for it comes soon enough.
Just like James had said to him.
This time, they would win.
And Win they shall because, from this moment, he and the rest of the people in the world would all fight as one.
Chapter 1398 You Motherf*Cker! L Knew You'd Say That!
"See here. If we create several layers of mirrors to increase the intensity of the magical cannons, allowing them to hit a smaller area, we will be able to pierce through the protective carapace off the Adamantium Beetle, which is the sturdiest of the Myriad Beasts in our world."
"But in order to do that we will need to create these mirrors using a crystal that can withstand such magical intensity. We don't have such things in the Silvermoon Continent."
"Us Dwarves have many crystal ores, should I bring in some of them so all of you can see which one fits the one you need to make these mirrors."
"Perfect! I knew you Dwarves could sometimes be useful!"
"Shut up, Gnome! When was the last time you took a bath? You stink!"
"Friends, let us not fight. We are here to discuss things in an orderly manner."
"Shut up, Elf! Your ears are too long!"
"Perfectly fair skin, handsome face, and a good brain to boot. Kuh! Someone take this guy out of this laboratory! Looking at him annoys me!"
"Calm down, Gnome. It's not his fault you were born ugly."
"Piss off Demon! Haven't you seen your face in the mirror? You look like a pig!"
"Too many ideas. Not enough hands! Someone get me the latest design of the Positron Cannon from the Valerian Kingdom, there is something in their design that I think might help us configure the performance of the Dreadnaught Destroyer!"
Heated discussions could be heard everywhere as the greatest minds of the world gathered in several workshops performing various tasks, in preparation for the upcoming war.
It had been two weeks since the Grand Alliance had been founded, and the different kingdoms of the World had started to train all able-bodied individuals to fight.
—--------
"Swing your swords! Don't stop!"
"Sir, please, I can't do it anymore. I can't lift my arms any longer."
"Okay then start running. You can still move your legs, right? Give me ten laps!"
—--------
"What's this? You've been training for archery for almost a week, and you still can't even hit the bulls eye? I've hit it a dozen times already."
"It's fine. As long as I hit the target. My opponent is a Giant. It's impossible for me to miss!"
"Um, you do have a point. My bad."
"It's fine. Are you free tonight? I know this brothel…"
—--------
High up in the skies of the Floor of Asgard, thousands of Aerial Units were performing joint military exercises together, creating a non-stop magical barrage from the skies.
"Hippogriff Strikers, move out!
"Wyvern Riders, intercept!"
"Dragon Riders, unleash dragon breaths!"
—--------
While everyone was busy preparing for war, the Half-Elf was currently on the Third Floor of the Tower of Babylon, laying on the grass and looking at the clouds that were moving in the sky. His head rested on the mace, Sharur, using it as a pillow.
The chatty mace didn't mind because this was one of the rare occasions where everyone gathered to take an afternoon nap, so he didn't make any noises and simply allowed William to use it as a pillow.
On the Half-Elf's right side, Erinys was fast asleep, with her arm wrapped around his chest. On his left, Cherry slept peacefully, while being hugged by Medusa, who was doing her best to help the Virtuous Lady of Charity to get over her fear of her Master, who was very kind to her.
Bacon (AKA Gullinbursti) lay on William's stomach, sleeping like the little pig that it was. Its snout would move from time to time as if it was eating something, and its legs would twitch from time to time also.
Whenever the red-headed teenager wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of his surroundings, he would go to Oogwei's Domain, where he had spent some time with Chiffon when the two of them had to climb the Tower of Babylon.
Oogwei's disciples, Donutella, Leonardude, Michaelangelhoe, and Narnyah, were busy sparring with each other in the distance, while making as little noise as possible.
The Third Floor was one of the most beautiful floors in the Tower of Babylon.
It was a Domain filled with many waterfalls, so several rainbows could be seen at any given time depending on where you looked.
It was also lush in greenery, which had been maintained by the little turtle, Oogwei, who liked to eat cucumbers and sandwiches.
The air was fresh, and it constantly blew in the surroundings, making it the perfect place to take an afternoon nap.please visit p(anda-n0ve1.co)m
The past two weeks had been some of the busiest days in William's life. He was always present in the joint events, to inspire everyone to work hard, serving as the "Face" of the Grand Alliance.
There were days when he wasn't able to go back to the Thousand Beast Domain, nor to his room to have a proper rest. He would often be seen sleeping on the ground, on the table, on chairs, or on tree branches, which made her lovers quite worried about him.
In the end, Nisha took it upon herself to give the Half-Elf a short vacation, to allow himself to recover from the stress that had accumulated over time.
The veiled-beauty had also assigned the three little girls, who had the most free time in the world, to accompany the Half-Elf and ensure that he rested, instead of continually working.
William's lovers and wives were busy in their own way. Wendy, Estelle, and Haleth always joined the military exercises to help organize the formations that they would use on the battlefield.
Princess Aila, Anh, and Amelia, busied themselves in helping the Medical Teams learn how to proficiently perform emergency treatment on the battlefield.
Belle and the rest of the Demigods would have mock battles among themselves in order to overcome the weaknesses they had.
Lilith, Vesta, and Priscilla assisted Nisha in the management of William's territories.
The members of the Deadly Sins, the Heavenly Virtues, and the Elders of Deus, were busy formulating an 11th Circle Spell that they could use to combat the Giants.
Deus had once used an 11th Circle Spell in an attempt to make the Southern Continent their own, while the Holy Order of Light used an 11th Circle Spell to summon Belle to their world.
Since they had two years to prepare, they planned to use that time to erect several altars in the world of Hestia in order to cast a Continental-Wide Spell that would help them overcome the difference in ranks between them and the invading Army of Destruction.
"Will, time's up," Oogwei's voice reached Wiliam's ears, informing the Half-Elf that it was now time for him to do the other task that he needed to do. As the Guardian of the Third Floor, Oogwei could pass his message from anywhere from inside it.
"Understood," William replied inside his mind. "Thank you, Master Oogwei."
"Mmm. Rest is important, so don't hesitate to visit this place whenever you wish."
"I am always grateful for your hospitality."
William turned to his right side where Erinys was sleeping beside him and kissed her forehead.
"Erinys, it's time to go," William said softly. "Please wake up."
The doll-like beauty then opened her eyes before looking up at William with eyes filled with affection.
"Did you sleep?" Erinys asked before kissing William's lips. "You're supposed to rest, but seeing that you're wide awake, I'm guessing that you didn't sleep."
"My mind is too awake to sleep," William replied before lightly shaking Cherry, who was sleeping beside him. "Wake up, Cherry. It's time to watch the Movie you wanted to watch."
"Fweh?" Cherry abruptly opened her sleepy eyes before looking at the Half-Elf. A moment later, she once again closed them and returned to sleep, making Erinys, who was looking at her friend, giggle.
pAn,da n<0,>v,e1 William arched an eyebrow as he looked at Erinys, who had a sweet smile on her face. "You think this is funny?"
Erinys nodded. "Look at the bright side. At least, she's no longer that scared of you, right? If this was in the past, she would have bolted and ran away with all her might."
The Half-Elf couldn't refute Erinys words and simply nodded his head in agreement.
Just as he was about to wake Cherry and Medusa again, he heard Nisha's voice inside his head, informing him that they had discovered some Demon Tribes that were hiding deep within the mountains of the Demon Realm, and wanted to know how William wanted to deal with them.
A round mirror then appeared in front of William showing Nisha's image.
"Sorry to cut your vacation short, but I will need you to personally speak to the two Patriarchs of these Demon Tribes," Nisha said. "They are claiming that they know you, so they want to talk to you personally."
Erinys, who was by William's side, frowned as she looked at Nisha. The Half-Elf had just started his vacation, and it hadn't been a day before he was called to work again.
However, she didn't say anything because she knew that William had many responsibilities, and this was one of them.
Soon the image of a Boarkin appeared on the round mirror. Upon seeing its face, William's body stiffened because he had seen that face before.
In fact, there was even a time when he had been tempted to slap it silly due to how annoying it was.
The two stared at each other for a full minute before William broke the silence.
"Swiper, no swiping," William said with a teasing smile on his face.
"You motherf*cker!" Swiper replied in anger. "I knew you'd say that!"
Indeed, the one in the projection was none other than the Boarkin that William had met in the Deadlands.
It was none other than Swiper, who led the Demon Faction, and worked as Morax's subordinate which seemed like a lifetime ago.
Chapter 1399 Old Acquaintances And New Bonds
Although he was quite reluctant to part with Erinys, Medusa, Cherry, Bacon, and Sharur, the Half-Elf still went to the Demon Continent using the Bifrost Bridge to meet with an old friend that he hadn't seen for quite some time.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were from Hestia?" William asked.
"You didn't ask." Swiper snorted. "Also, even if you did, what makes you think that I'd have given you an answer?"
The two sat facing each other on the grass, while the Boarkin casually smoked his pipe. Even now, Swiper couldn't believe that the person he had met in the Deadlands was now the Overlord of the entire Demon Realm.
When Ahriman and Felix came to power, Swiper immediately ordered his Tribe to hide deep in the mountains, so that they wouldn't be involved in the invasion of the Central Continent.
The Demon Realm was a very big place, so there were plenty of places to hide to escape the compulsory draft that Felix decreed when he became the Heir of Darkness.
It was not only Swiper and his tribe that managed to hide away in the mountains, several other Demon Tribes had gone to great lengths, so that they wouldn't fight a war that they didn't want in the first place.
Nisha had tasked several of her agents, as well as the Demons who had pledged loyalty to William, to look for these scattered tribes, and bring them back to the surface for the war that would happen in two years' time.
The veiled-beauty's subordinates were quite thorough and they did a very detailed sweep across the land, looking for traces of the Demon Tribes that escaped Felix's draft.
The Boarkin Tribe that Swiper belonged to was just one of these many Demon Clans that were found. However, when Nisha's subordinates told them that the Heir of Darkness was no more, and was replaced by a Half-Elf Emperor, they thought that they would finally be able to live their lives peacefully.
Unfortunately, what awaited them was another war, and this time, there would be no place in the world where they could run to and hide from the invaders that were intent on extinguishing all life in the world.
"You already know what is going on, right?" William inquired. "What are your plans?"
Swiper didn't answer William's question right away and just blew a cloud of smoke in front of him. Half a minute later, the Boarkin emptied the contents of his pipe before glancing at the Half-Elf with a serious expression on its face.
"I already have a hunch, but I'll just ask in case," Swiper said. "Back then in the Deadlands, a giant grabbed Morax and allowed him to escape. Is that the same giant that you are going to fight against in this upcoming war?
William nodded. "Yes."
Swiper groaned after confirming his suspicion, he had already seen how powerful that Giant was, and he knew that fighting against it was not the best way to commit suicide.
The Half-Elf remained silent and just stared at the Boarkin whose face had now turned pale from fright. As someone who had seen the Giant, Surtr, firsthand, he could understand what Swiper was feeling right now.
"Fine," Swiper stated after a few minutes had passed. "At least promise me that you will die before me. I am afraid of dying, you know?"
The Half-Elf smiled before giving the Boarkin a middle finger.
Swiper grunted because the red-headed teenager refused to die before him, which made him have the great urge to look for a place to hide, and somehow survive the end of the world.
Just as he was contemplating these things inside his head, Swiper suddenly remembered something important.𝘧𝑟ee𝘸e𝙗𝙣ov𝒆l.𝑐𝙤m
"Actually, there was another tribe that I met while we were looking for a place to hide," Swiper said. "They are not from the Demon Tribes, but they are as feisty as Demons when it comes to fighting. Guess who I found?""
The Boarkin smiled evilly, making the Half-Elf have the strong urge to slap him.
"Just tell me who it is," William replied. "I don't have as much free time as you."
Swiper scoffed before telling the Half-Elf who he had met on his journey in the Demon Realm to look for a place to hide.
"Lindir," Swiper. "Do you remember him?"
The Half-Elf faintly recalled the name. But, due to many things that happened in the past, he couldn't remember every name that he had come across with.
"Who is he again?" William asked. "The things that happened in the Deadlands are like a blur to me at the moment."
Swiper chuckled because the Half-Elf didn't recall who Lindir was right away, which made him feel that he had more of an impression than the annoying Lizardfolk because William remembered who he was.
"Lindir was the leader of the Swamptide Shelter back in the Deadlands," Swiper answered. "He is now the Patriarch of the Lizardfolk that are currently hiding in the marshlands of the Northwest Regions of the Demon Realm.
"I see. I now remember him." William nodded his head.
Lindir was the Lizardfolk who often hung around with Eldon whenever he had free time. However, his presence wasn't that big during their time in the Deadlands, and the Lizardfolk's territory was far from the Glory Shelter, where he, Lilith, and Raizel stayed.
"Do you know the exact location?" William asked. "Might as well drop by and ask him to join the Grand Alliance."
Swiper smiled because this was what he wanted to have happen in the first place. Since he couldn't run away from William's grasp, might as well drag his acquaintance along.
This way, he would not be the only one who would suffer, but both of them would suffer at the same time.
The Half-Elf didn't know what the Boarkin was thinking, nor did he care.
However, he found it quite amusing how the casual encounter he had with Eldon, Swiper, and Lindir in the Deadlands, would somehow tie them all up together back in Hestia, making him feel that Fate was truly a fickle lady who did things in a roundabout manner.
Chapter 1400 A Place To Call Home
"By the way, how is that Demonic Dog, Psoglav, doing?" Swiper asked as he walked side by side with William in the marshlands. "We fought side by side during the war, and we were able to kill Wade together back then."
"He's dead," William replied. "He fought against a Pseudo-God in order to protect me."
"Ah… that's too bad. I thought that someone like him would live a long life because he was afraid of death, just like me."
"True."
William didn't refute Swiper's words because that was indeed Psoglav's mentality. He would not allow himself to be killed so easily because for him, his life was very precious.
Still, in the end, the Demonic Dog didn't back away and faced Princess Iron Fan with everything he had. He died bravely for the sake of friendship, and the bonds that he shared with the other beasts in the Thousand Beast Domain.
It didn't take long before the two of them found Lindir's Lizardfolk Tribe, who had managed to camouflage their hiding place quite well, using the terrain, creating blind spots in every direction.
If not for the fact that William had Optimus, who could map his surroundings, and detect the presences of living things, the Half-Elf might have missed the Lizardfolk Tribe that had hidden themselves well.
When William and Swiper entered their tribal Domain, all the Lizardfolk Warriors took out their weapons and encircled the two trespassers with the intent to kill.
If not for the fact that they had recognized Swiper, who was an acquaintance of their Chieftain, they would have already attacked without mercy.
"Oi! Lindir! Get your sorry a*s out here now!" Swiper shouted. "I brought an acquaintance with me. He's someone you know as well!"
A minute later, a two-meter tall Lizardfolk emerged from the biggest hut in the tribe, and looked at his uninvited guests with annoyance.
"Swiper, you bastard!" Lindir shouted. "Why aren't you dead yet?!"
"How can I possibly die when you're still alive?" Swiper shouted back. "Come here! Someone is looking for you!"
The Lizard Man clicked his tongue as he walked to where the crowd was gathering. The Lizardfolk all parted to let their Chieftain pass, allowing Lindir to finally see the one accompanying Swiper.
Lindir's body stiffened when he saw the familiar red-headed teenager, who had fought head-to-head with Morax in the past.
To everyone's surprise, Lindir shouted in alarm before shaking his hips side to side. A moment later, his tail fell off, which made all the lizardfolk around him gasp in shock.
With a pained face, Lindir picked up his tail with both of his hands and walked towards William. He then knelt and offered his tail to the Half-Elf in a very respectful manner, making William's and Swiper's lips twitch.
'Bruh, we just came here to talk to you. Why are you offering your tail to us like this? It's not like we came here to kill you or anything.'
These were the thoughts that passed through the Half-Elf's and the Boarkin's heads the moment they looked at the tail, who was still twitching in Lindir's hand.
"I offer my tail as an offering of peace," Lindir stated. "Please take it and leave our tribe alone. We don't want to be involved in the wars of the Demon and Central Continent. We just want to live in peace."
William glanced at the wriggling tail, which was at least two meters long, before shifting his gaze to the Lizard Man, who had his head bowed in submission.
"Are you taking it?" Swiper asked with a complicated look on his face.
William shook his head. "Of course not. What am I going to do with a tail?"
"What? Are you not a cultured person? Don't you know that the tails of Lizardfolk are a delicacy?" Swiper looked at the Half-Elf as if he was a country bumpkin. "Why do you think they shed their tails whenever they face a strong Monster? They do it so that the Monster will eat their tail, and allow them to escape unharmed. Since you don't want it, I'll take it myself."
Swiper nonchalantly grabbed hold of Lindir's tail before the Lizard Man could even react to his action.
A moment later, an awkward silence descended on the Lizard Tribe, making the onlookers feel both relieved and embarrassed about their Chieftain's actions.
William, who was now in the center of everyone's attention, scratched his cheek before shifting his gaze on the still kneeling Lizard Man in front of him.
"Let's talk first," William said. "If you really don't want to fight, I won't force you. But, hear me out first."
Lindir nodded his head in agreement. He also felt embarrassed about what he did earlier, but after he saw William, he immediately felt threatened, so he followed his instinct and shed his tail, allowing him to have a chance of survival.
—-----
The smell of something being roasted spread inside the Chieftain's house. It smelled so good that for a moment, William had the strong urge to taste it.
However, he resisted this strong urge because it would be awkward to eat the tail of someone he knew, so he simply sat and stared at the Lizard Man, while Swiper hummed and roasted the latter's tail in the firepit, located at the center of Lindir's home.
Beside the Lizard Man, the elders of the Lizard Tribe were also present, and all of them were quite surprised by the story that William told them.
Lindir, who was the chieftain of the Lizardfolk, sighed after hearing William's tale. His tail had already regrown because the Half-Elf had used Life Magic on him, allowing him to instantly regenerate his tail.
"We just want to live in peace, but it seems that it is no longer possible," Lindir stated. "This is like the Deadlands all over again. Either we fight, or die like pigs in a butcher's house."
Swiper, who was busy roasting Lindir's tail, glared at the Lizardman.
Although he was technically not a pig, he still took offense to Lindir's words because Pigkins were still his distant cousins.
"Indeed." William agreed. "All of us can run, but none of us can hide."
Lindir nodded in understanding before looking at William straight in the eye. "I just have one request."
"Name it." William could tell that Lindir had already decided to join his Alliance, so he decided to hear him out and grant his request if it was within his ability.
"Our Tribe has lived far away from the other Demon Tribes, and constantly migrated from place to place, in search of a place where we don't have to go to war against our neighbors," Lindir stated. "If we survive this war, I want you to promise me that you will give us a piece of land where we can live permanently.
"It doesn't have to be big, but it must be enough for all of us to build our homes and hunt. Also, I want you to become our guarantor that no other Clans, Demons, or other races would seek to harm us in any way possible. If you can promise me this, I will devote everything, even my life, to fight for your cause."
The Half-Elf smiled before nodding his head. "Deal."
Aside from the Floor of Asgard, there were other floors that belonged to him after he had kicked their previous owners out. He would give one of these floors to the Lizard Clan, so that they would no longer have to fear the bullying of other races again.
The Half-Elf and the Lizard Man then shook hands in order to seal the Alliance, making the Elders of the Lizardfolk nod their heads in satisfaction.
Two hours later, the Half-Elf had taken all the Lizardfolk to the Tower of Babylon.
Now that William had given them a promise that they would be given a land of their own, they no longer needed to constantly migrate again, which had left them feeling like they had no place that they could call their home.
Chapter 1401 The Burden Doesn't Only Lie Ln Your Hands
Days passed…
Weeks passed…
Months…
It had been three months since the Grand Alliance was founded, and slowly, but surely, things were starting to take shape.
The geniuses of each Kingdom, Tribe, and Clan, all gathered and made significant breakthroughs when it came to weapons, battle formations, and high-level spells, that made everyone feel a little more confident that they would be able to make the Giants feel a world of pain once they descended into their world.
Right now, William was having a private meeting with the two most powerful existences in the world of Hestia, who had come to look for him of their own accord.
Seated across him were two men whose ages he couldn't ascertain due to their features. Both of them had long white hair that flowed down to their waists and were wearing gray clothes.
The Half-Elf already knew one of them, which was Leviathan, the Guardian of Atlantis. He was the Overlord of the Ocean.
William had fought him once, but their battle was a tie. Even with Sun Wukong's perfect fusion, Leviathan was a true PowerHouse, making him a very dependable ally in the upcoming war.
The second one, was the Overlord of the Lands of Hestia, and he was known by the Demigods as Tarasque.
This was the first time the red-headed teenager was meeting Tarasque in person, and although the Pseudo-God's human form looked amiable, and even gentle, the power that was radiating from his body wouldn't lose to Leviathan in the slightest.
They were the two True Protectors of the world, and they had come to William in order to discuss some important matters with him.
"I am very happy with how you handled this situation," Tarasque said with a smile. "Even during the Era of the Gods, when the world was covered in darkness, and the Gods were fighting against each other, the races of the world didn't unite as one like what I'm seeing today. It's quite heartening and fills me with hope."
Leviathan nodded his head from the side because he, too, shared Tarasque's sentiment.
"I am glad that you feel that way, Your Excellency," William replied. "But, I'm sure that you didn't come to find me just because of this, right?"
"Getting straight to the point. I like this attitude as well." Tarasque nodded. "Very well. Since you want to know why we came to visit you, I will no longer tarry and give you some good news."
Tarasque leaned forward on his chair and smiled.
"What if I tell you that we have a way to turn all the Demigods in this world into Pseudo-Gods?" Tarasque stated. "But, in order to do that, you must gather all of them here first, including those that are currently inside the Hidden Domains."
Leviathan, who had been quiet on the side, spoke up as well.
"This is just a one time thing, so in order to not waste it, we must gather all the Demigods in one place, and have them all transform into Pseudo-Gods," Leviathan commented. "I know that you have already started to visit the Forbidden Grounds one by one in order to add them to your army, but you must make haste if you want to maximize this once in a lifetime opportunity."
"Is there perhaps a time limit?" William inquired. please visit panda(-)N0ve1.co)m
There was a sense of urgency in Levithan's tone, making the Half-Elf feel that there was a deadline for this once in a lifetime opportunity, making him a little anxious.
pA(nD)A no ve1 "Yes," Leviathan replied. "You have ten months to gather as many Demigods as you can, and bring them all here in the Central Continent. The reason being, that is when the magical power of this world will be at its peak. It is strong enough to empower an Eleventh Circle Spell, which can be used to raise the ranks of all the Demigods to the next stage."
The Half-Elf's took this news seriously because this was indeed some very good news. He had often wondered how the disparity between the quality, and quantity, of the Higher-Ranking combatants of both parties could be overcome, but this issue had been stressing him out for a very long time.
No matter how small, any advantage that he could strive for was a welcome addition to his cause.
"I will work harder in order to hasten the conquest of the Forbidden Grounds," William stated. "I will mobilize all the Pseudo-Gods under my command to start looking for the locations of these Forbidden Grounds at once."
"There's no need for that," Tarasque said before handing William an aged scroll. "These are all the locations of the Forbidden Grounds, as well as the hidden ones within the lands of Hestia."
Leviathan also handed the Half-Elf another scroll.
"These are the Forbidden Grounds located in the seas and oceans of the world," Leviathan stated. "I'm afraid that even if you do your utmost for the next ten months, you will not be able to visit them all."
William accepted both scrolls and opened them to allow Optimus to record them, just in case the scrolls were lost.
"Your Excellencies, why did you just give me these scrolls now?" William asked. "If you could have given it to me sooner…"
Leviathan and Tarasque glanced at each other before shaking their heads at the same time.
"We also wished we could have given them to you sooner," Tarasque replied. "However, we just finished surveying the entirety of this world today and jotted down those locations on the map."
"The world is a vast place," Leviathan stated. "Even if we are the Overlords of our respective domains, we don't know every nook and cranny of this world. This is why it took us a while to look for these places, so we could give these to you as soon as we could."
The two Pseudo-Gods gave William a brief bow before standing up.
"Please use it well, Your Majesty," Tarasque said softly. "You don't have to visit them all. Visit what you can, and after the ceremony, you can visit the others."
Leviathan gave the Half-Elf a side-long glance before opening the door to leave.
"Remember this, William," Leviathan said as he walked past the door. "Everyone is doing their best in their own way. The burden doesn't only lie in your hands."
Tarasque smiled as he followed behind Leviathan, leaving William to ponder his next course of action.
They had seen how much the Half-Elf had worked behind the scenes, so they also took it upon themselves to work just as hard, leaving him the fruit of all of their hard work.
Chapter 1402 Two Love At First Sight? Lsn't That Cheating?
A month had passed since Leviathan and Tarasque had visited William. Since then, he had already conquered five Forbidden Grounds, raising the number of Pseudo-Gods under his command by five more.
Just like the other Forbidden Domains, aside from the Pseudo-Gods, they also had Demigods which served as the Boss Monsters of the upper floors.
As an example, the Faeries guarding Titania's Tir Na Nog were scheduled to have their ranks upgraded to Pseudo-Gods when William had finished visiting as many Forbidden and Secret Domains as he could during the time that was allotted to him.
Unlike Astrape, Bronte, Titania, and the Nymphs, William didn't make any contracts with them, not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.
His soul couldn't afford to form anymore contracts with Demigods, so he used the destruction of the world to get them to join his side willingly.
William also explained to them in detail of why he was conquering their Domains, which made some of the Pseudo-Gods doubtful of his words.
As for those who were unwilling, they faced the one-sided beating of several Pseudo-Gods, until they finally understood that joining the Grand Alliance was the least painful option.
However, since William had conquered their Dungeon and made it his own, they had no choice but to give him the benefit of the doubt, and tag along with him to conquer the other Forbidden Grounds, to further raise the number of William's forces.
Having five more Pseudo-Gods greatly increased the capture rate of the Dungeons located in the Forbidden Grounds, which led Nisha to give the Half-Elf a short vacation in order to take a breather.
The Half-Elf didn't reject the offer and left the Central Continent to go to a more peaceful place.
? A place where he had spent his childhood days happily with the members of his small herd.
"Back then, I was more handsome than you," a shepherd said while laying on the soft wool of the sheep under his head. "Now, I am still more handsome than you."
The Half-Elf rolled his eyes after hearing the words of his first best friend whom he hadn't seen in a while.
"But, even though I'm more handsome than you, I'm hearing rumors that you already have over thirty wives!" Theo, the shepherd boy who would always accompany William whenever he took his goats to the pasture to graze, propped himself up and looked at Half-Elf with bloodshot eyes.
"I'm so envious!" Theo grounded his teeth in frustration. "Do they have sisters?! Even cousins will do. Introduce me!"
"Piss off! You smell like sheep!" William pushed Theo's face, who was breathing like a dragon in his face, away.
Theo swatted Wiliam's hand away from his face before glaring at the Half-Elf who had become a winner in life after he left Lont.
"Shut up, milk drinker!" Theo glared. "Is that your secret? Because you drank Goat Milk when you were young, you became super popular with the ladies?"
"No, Bro. It's all about the looks." William wagged his finger in front of his best friend, who had remained in Lont and lived his life peacefully. "Can't you see how handsome I am? Even if you take a bath everyday, you will not reach this level of handsomeness in your lifetime. It would be a sin if the ladies didn't flock to me."
Theo clicked his tongue before rubbing his hands over his face.
"To think you even made Princess Aila your lover," Theo said grudgingly. "I had a crush on her back then. I thought that she would be my girlfriend after a year. But that old fart Owen took her with him when he went to the Central Continent. I missed my chance to confess!"
William arched an eyebrow before looking at his friend from head to toe.
Theo used to be a chubby boy when they were younger. Now, he was a young man with a well-toned body, as well as above average looks. please visit panda(-)N0ve1.co)m
Truth be told, Theo was quite popular with the young ladies in Lont. it would not be hard for him to find one whom he could spend his life with.
However, William didn't expect that the frog had tried to eat a swan, which he had eaten, after it flew to the Central Continent before following him to the Demon Continent.
"Sorry Bro, but you didn't stand a chance from the very start," William said as he patted Theo's shoulder with a smug smile on his face, which made the latter so annoyed that he lunged at the Half-Elf, making both of them roll down the grass hill.
"The early bird catches the early worm," Theo lamented as he laid on the ground panting for breath after his short scuffle with William. "I wasn't early enough. With my good looks, I'm sure that she would have said Yes, if I confessed to her."
"If you say so," William said with a teasing smile on his face. "Still, if you want to marry Princesses, there are many out there. I'm sure you will find the one that is meant for you sooner or later."
Theo shook his head before he stared at the Half-Elf as if the latter wasn't well versed in the art of love.
"I won't fall in love with just a random person," Theo patted his chest proudly. "It must be similar to love at first sight or none at all. How about you? Did you make the ones whom you fell in love with at first sight, your wife?"
William pondered for a bit before answering Theo's question.
The first one he fell in love with on Earth was Belle, who had now become his wife.
The one he fell in love with at first sight was his Master, Celine. Technically, she was not yet his wife, but she had already given birth to his baby, making the Half-Elf scratch his head about how the order of things had been jumbled up.
"Well, in a way, I ended up with the two girls I fell in love with at first sight," William replied.
"What?! How can there be such a thing!" Theo looked at the Half-Elf in disdain. "Two love at first sight? Isn't that cheating?"
The Half-Elf laughed because this talk about random things made him realize that even though the end of the world was coming their way, that wouldn't stop the people of Hestia from enjoying the simple pleasures of life.
Just as he was about to talk nonsense with Theo again, a beam of light descended a few meters away from him.
There, Nisha, who was wearing a veil like always, as well as a girl whom William hadn't seen for a long time appeared a few meters away from him.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," the young lady beside Nisha gave William a respectful bow before raising her head. "I was planning to wait for you to return to the Floor Asgard, but Lady Nisha and I met each other in the hallway, and she decided to help me reach out to you."
William glanced at the veiled-beauty, who only nodded her head, before shifting his gaze to his ex-fiance, whom he hadn't seen since the last time they met in the Misty Sect.
It was none other than Rebecca.
The genius girl who had broken her engagement with William, many years ago.
William subconsciously lowered his gaze to look at her chest in amusement.
It wasn't small, but failed to reach the Cup C requirement that he had stated when he was asked by her grandfather, Lawrence, who was the former Duke of the Dukedom of Griffith, what his ideal woman was like.
Chapter 1403 Reminiscing About The Past [Part1]
"Rebecca, what are the qualities you like to see in your future husband?"
"Grandfather, I think It's too early for me to answer this question."
"Indeed, you are still too young. But, humor me. Tell me the qualities that you want your husband to have."
"Well, first, he must be stronger than me," Rebecca stated.
"Second, he must be good looking."
"Third, he must be someone with ambition. I don't like mediocrity."
"There is one last condition," Rebecca said. "He must be in a position of power."
—------
That was the scene that appeared inside Rebecca's head after she reunited with the Half-Elf who had risen to heights she could never hope to imagine within the short time that they had parted ways with each other.
Many years ago, she really thought that she was too good for a dirty Shepherd, who spent his days herding goats and sheep in the countryside.
To this day, whenever the Disciples of the Misty Sect talked about William Von Ainsworth, they would remember her.
The person that broke their engagement, and wondered if she regretted her decision back then.
Truth be told, Rebecca was a bit regretful, but she didn't fully regret her decision.
No one knew what the future would hold. When she decided to break the engagement with William, she had already thought of the possibility of him surpassing her in the future.
Even so, she was still firm in her decision.
If she were to be given the opportunity to return to the past, she would make the same decision.
After all, she understood more than anyone else that the Half-Elf had faced challenges that surpassed even her wildest dreams, in order to reach the rank and position he now had.
The young lady with long, light-brown hair, and green eyes, held William's gaze, whose eyes were of the same color as hers.
However, a second later, his gaze moved downwards, looking at her chest, making Rebecca remember the words that the Half-Elf had said to describe his ideal lover.
—------
"First, she must be Cup C," William stated in an arrogant manner. "I will not accept anything smaller than that."
"Second, she must have a good head on her shoulders."
"Third, she must be loyal."
"Lastly, she must be a beauty that can bring the downfall of a nation. Only this kind of lady is deserving of my love and affection."
—------
She didn't meet the first, and she couldn't say that she met the second requirement either.
As for Loyalty? She was willing to devote her life to someone that had earned her trust. Right now, she hadn't found that person, but she firmly believed that once she had chosen someone to love, she would be loyal without a doubt.
As for the last condition of being a beauty that could bring the downfall of a nation?
Rebecca was a beauty, but her beauty didn't reach Princess Sidonie's, Titania's, Nisha's, Celine's, Princess Aila's, or even Erinys' standards.
Among William's wives, and lovers, these women had the beauty that could topple nations.
Of course, his other wives and lovers were extremely beautiful women. The Eight Deadly Sins, and the Eight Heavenly Virtues, were all beautiful in their own right, and any man in the world would fight to have one of them as their lover.
Belle, Wendy, Estelle, Ashe, Lilith, Acedia, and the rest… there were simply too many to list.
In short, William didn't have a shortage of women in his harem, which could be said to be the dream of all the men in the world of Hestia.
"It's been a while," William said softly. "Have you been well?"
"Yes," Rebecca replied. "Life has been full of ups and downs, but we must continue to move forward, in order to grow as individuals."
After Nisha had brought Rebecca to William's side, the veiled-beauty didn't stay for long and returned to the Floor of Asgard. However, before she went, she dragged Theo, who had the look of "this is some juicy gossip material", away.
Nisha knew that the two needed some alone time together. She had investigated William's background and had made sure to memorize the faces, and names of the people that were close to him.
Among those that struck an impression to her was Rebecca.
She was William's ex-fiance, and the girl who decided to break the marriage agreement because she found him lacking.
Nisha couldn't help but giggle after reading this piece of information, and made sure to always keep an eye out for William's Ex-Fiance, whom no one had seen for the past hundreds of chapters.
An awkward silence descended between the two after that brief exchange.
This silence lasted for a full five minutes before Rebecca took the initiative to restart the conversation.
"The reason why I came to the Floor of Asgard is to represent the collective decision of the Elders of the Misty Sect," Rebecca said. "All of us will participate in the Grand Alliance, and wish to have stronger ties with the Ainsworth Family."
William chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I am honored to have the Misty Sect join the Alliance," William replied. "But, I'm curious. Who was the one that made you say the last part of your declaration?"
"My Master, Lady Eleanor," Rebecca stated with a bitter smile. "She wanted to know if you still hold a grudge over what had happened several years ago."
The Half-Elf smiled and nodded his head in understanding.
"You know, back then, when I first heard that my Gramps had already planned for my future marriage partner, I felt that the old man was in too much of a hurry," William said as he looked at the sheeps and goats grazing in the distance.
He couldn't possibly tell Rebecca that he had been aware of their engagement since he was a baby because the old coot, James, would often brag to him that he had nabbed him a beauty before he could even learn to walk.
"I too was surprised when I learned that I already had a marriage partner," Rebecca commented. "I believe I was six years old when my grandfather told me about it. As a child, I didn't really understand what having a marriage partner was. Because of this, I felt that someone was deciding my own future for me, which made me hate the idea as I grew older."
"You don't like someone manipulating your life for you, right?"
"Yes. This is why I decided to break the marriage agreement. If I were to fall in love, I wanted to fall in love on my own terms, and not because my grandfather agreed to marry me to someone whose face I hadn't even seen once."
William once again nodded his head in understanding. In truth, he also hated the idea of someone forcing him to marry someone he didn't like. So, for him, Rebecca breaking the marriage agreement wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"You looked so cute back then," WIlliam said softly. "Dressed up like a doll, and acting like the noble you are."
The Half-Elf paused before glancing at the lady by his side.
"Now, you have grown into a beauty," William commented. "I'm sure that there are many in the Misty Sect that are hoping to become your lover."
Suddenly, Rebecca chuckled, which made the Half-Elf wonder if he said something very funny.
"Everyone in the Misty Sect is too afraid to approach me," Rebecca replied. "They think that if they were to really make me their lover, you would return and bury them in nightsoil. Even my Guardian, Her Excellency, Meredith, refused to accompany me on this journey, knowing that I would be meeting with you."
The Half-Elf lightly scratched his cheek after hearing Rebecca's words.
There had been a time when he had been very reckless and did things that were not appropriate. However, he didn't regret his decision back then.
The circumstances had forced him to do what he did, which gave the Guardian of the Misty Sect a trauma that still haunted it to this day.
"Let's not talk about that incident anymore," William smiled as he faced his Ex-Fiance with an inquiring gaze. "It's all in the past."
Rebecca nodded. "I agree."
The young lady then took out something from her storage ring and handed it to the Half-Elf who took it with a curious expression.
"This is?" William asked.
Rebecca sighed before answering William's question.
"That is the letter that your Familiar, Elliot, left me," Rebecca answered. "He said that I should give it to you after your battle with Ahriman and the Heir of Darkness was finished."
The young lady gave a bitter smile before bowing her head lightly in apology. "I'm sorry. I am only able to give this to you now because many things happened within the Misty Sect when the Demons attacked.
"Some of our Elders had been injured, and we were forced to close off the territories around the sect with the power of her Excellency, Meredith. Then, your battle against the Holy Order of Light reached our ears, which prompted me to wait until the outcome had been decided before I came to see you."
The Half-Elf's expression became solemn as he broke the seal on the letter, so that he could read it.
He had only come to learn recently from Chloee that Elliot had the power of Clairvoyance after they returned from the Tower of Babylon.
With that said, the Familiar might have already foreseen his death, and might have written the letter as a last will to tell William the things that he wanted to pass to him after his death.
Chapter 1404 Reminiscing About The Past [Part2]
To the Destined Person who is lucky enough to find my letter,
Seven-hundred fifty-two million, six-hundred forty-eight thousand heartbeats.
That is the number of times my heart was supposed to beat before I passed away. But, Alas… it was not meant to be. I, who lived a short, yet happy life have many regrets, and among those regrets was to die… a virgin!
Ahem! Don't look at me with those eyes filled with ridicule and contempt, for I am sure that you, yes you! The one reading this right now, is the same. Both of us are virgins!
—------
The corner of William's lips twitched as he read the opening paragraphs of Elliot's letter. The words that were written were very familiar to him, and somehow, he felt too embarrassed to continue reading it because he already had an idea of what would come up next.
The Half-Elf was no longer a virgin, and had become a veteran in the arts of love making. Since Elliot was a part of his soul, he was sure that his familiar was just poking fun at him in order to make him relax a bit more as he read the letter.
—------
Although I can't see it, I believe that your lips should be twitching right now. There are not many things you can hide from me because I know everything about you. I know that it has been a long time coming, but I'd like to applaud your boldness for having the guts to steal a pair of Celine's panties while you were still undergoing her training back in Lont.
—------
The Half-Elf folded the handwritten letter in his hands for a brief moment before looking at the sky to contemplate the meaning of life.
Rebecca, who was standing beside him, wondered what was written in the letter because the Half-Elf's expression had changed so many times in just a short period of time.
'Elliot's letter must be very profound,' Rebecca thought. 'William's face is a bit flushed right now. Is he alright?'
What she didn't know was that the Half-Elf was planning to burn Elliot's letter as soon as he finished reading it to erase any evidence of what had happened in the past.
If Celine, or any of his wives, and lovers, were to accidentally read it, they would probably look at him in a weird manner, making the Half-Elf unable to know how to react to their stares.
After regaining his composure, he once again opened the letter and started to read. Fortunately, Elliot had stopped teasing him and finally got down to business.
—------
By the time you are reading this letter, I have long been dead.
It's quite funny, you know? People think that seers that can see the future could prevent the bad ones from happening completely.
But, this isn't the truth. The most we can do is help steer the future to a more favorable one by laying out foundations in advance.
Perhaps you didn't know, but the Giants had attempted to attack Hestia in the past. I didn't tell you this because there were other things that needed your immediate attention, so I decided to make Rebecca my subordinate, as well as enlist Chloee's help, in order to prevent the Giants from arriving in this world sooner.
Back then, no one in the world was ready to face them.
Not Malacai who was traveling the world of Hestia to look for remnants that were left behind during the Era of the Gods that could help win the war against the invaders of this world.
Not our Gramps, who is probably off somewhere, looking for… nevermind. This is not something for me to say, but know that the old coot is doing his best in his own way.
And… not you, who still don't know your true identity.
I tried…
I tried so hard to reach a point where I could guide you to reach your full potential, but sadly, that is not possible now.
The battle with Ahriman should have ended with you being defeated, and your core being absorbed by Felix, making him the true Hegemon of this world, enveloping it in endless suffering and darkness.
In order to prevent that from happening, I talked to those that could help prevent the worst case scenario from happening.
Kasogonaga and Conan agreed to my selfish request, and had already prepared themselves to sacrifice their lives for your sake.
My vision of the future ended with Ahriman, and I couldn't see past that, which only meant one thing.
That meant that I would no longer be around to see whether my plan to save you succeeded, or not.
Still, I believe that you will be able to survive. I also apologize because I'm sure that you would have experienced excruciating pain after Conan and I died, but pain is a good thing. It means that you are still alive to experience it.
Hah~ I really wish I could have seen how things turned out, but if you were to really read this letter, that means that all has been well, and our sacrifices have not been in vain.
Will, on behalf of Conan, we would like to thank you for bringing us to this world. Our life was short, but it was fun.
I am very happy to have been your friend, and familiar. Although I did things behind your back, know that I only did it for your sake, and for your sake alone.
Do you know? I confessed to Chloee, but she rejected me. I can't believe someone as handsome, and awesome as me was rejected. But, that just means that the one she chose over me was better, right?
Make sure to treat her well, because she loves you very much. Also, Rebecca might be a proud individual, but she is not inherently bad. She made the choice back then, knowing that the future is uncertain.
What I'm saying is that it would be a shame if some other guy hit her up, so since you were her EX-Fiance, can you add her to your harem as well? I'm sure that Gramps, and his friend, Lawrence, will be happy with this outcome.
Of course, you are free to reject this proposal. After all, I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do.
I can't even imagine what the world is like after you read this letter of mine.
I'm pretty sure that if you manage to survive Ahriman and Felix, you will be facing off against the Giants. I'm guessing that you'd rather fight Ahriman than them, which makes it even harder to envision what the future will be like several years from now.
Still, I ask of you, do not lose hope.
Live, not only for my sake, but for Conan's as well.
Wherever we may be, we will always watch over you and pray that you will find all the happiness this world has to offer.
P.S
I already mentioned it, but Rebecca is a good girl. Although she isn't a C-Cup, she is a very loyal person. She will also give birth to healthy babies, so Gramps will be happy to have her around.
Lastly, Be safe, Will, and may all the promises you made in your past, and present lives, be realized in full.
—-------
The Half-Elf slowly closed his eyes as he controlled the surging sadness that was slowly rising up from his chest.
The handwritten letter already had dried up tear stains in it, which proved that Elliot had cried while writing the letter.
His angelic familiar was a calm and collected person, who seemed to be a devil in disguise. He was very different from Conan who seemed to be more of a good guy, despite being a devil familiar.
He carefully folded the letter and placed it inside his storage ring. He no longer had any intention of burning it because it was the last remaining legacy of his familiar, who did everything in his power to give him a future.
Rebecca, who noticed that tears had started to stream down the side of the Half-Elf's face, took out her handkerchief, but hesitated to wipe them away.
After a brief internal struggle, she took a step forward and dabbed her handkerchief on the Half-Elf's cheeks, drying his tears.
Although her relationship with William was more of an acquaintance, rather than a friend, the sadness emanating from the Half-Elf had moved her heart, making her take a bold step to reach out, and cross that gap that had separated the two of them, since the day that she had decided to break off the marriage agreement that had been forced on her, regardless of her will.
Feeling the soft handkerchief touching his face, the Half-Elf opened his eyes and looked at Rebecca with a profound sadness that seemed to be coming from the very depths of his soul
"I'm sorry, but can you let me borrow your shoulder for a while?" William asked.
Rebecca nodded and reached out to hug the Half-Elf, and rub his back, allowing the latter to cry on her shoulder.
William was someone who held the highest authority in the world at this moment, and for him to show her this side of him, made her feel that even someone as powerful as him, could still shed tears like a normal person, making her have a better understanding of him.
As the sun disappeared from the horizon, and the first stars appeared in the sky, William's Ex-Fiance, who was once promised to become his wife in the past, accompanied him until he no longer had tears to shed.
Chapter 1405 I Didn't Choose The Harem Life, The Harem Life Chose Me
The sounds of the night, as well as the crackling of the campfire could be faintly heard in the background.
"Have you ever thought that something like this would happen between us?" William inquired.
"No," Rebecca replied in a heartbeat.
William chuckled. "Me, neither."
Right now, the Half-Elf was resting his head on Rebecca's lap, as he looked at the star-studded sky.
After he recovered from his grief, he already found himself lying on Rebecca's lap.
He couldn't remember how he ended up in that manner because he had been in a daze after reading Elliot's letter.
The Half-Elf thought that he had already overcome his sadness for the loss of his two familiars, but that was only on the surface. Elliot's letter was proof that he was still saddened by their deaths, and was merely keeping himself busy, so that he wouldn't think about them more.
"What is it like to be born a genius?" William asked.
"Do you want me to hit you?" Rebecca replied. "You of all people shouldn't ask me this question."
The Half-Elf smiled because, after realizing what he just asked, he had undoubtedly stepped on a landmine.
"I already said that when I first saw you, I found you very cute and adorable," William stated. "Back then, I thought that my Grandfather's decision to have an arranged marriage wasn't necessarily a bad thing. How about you? What was your first impression of me?"
Rebecca didn't reply right away. Instead, she closed her eyes as she recalled the first time she had met the shepherd, who had come home covered in dirt and grass.
"Dirty, smelly, and looked like an obnoxious brat," Rebecca replied. "I am older than you by a year, and just the thought of spending a lifetime cleaning up your mess, made me want to get rid of you as soon as possible."
"You're not holding back with your praises, are you?"
"Because it's the truth. A shepherd isn't really my ideal husband. Back then, I wanted to marry a Prince, like those in the fairy tale books I read when I was younger. Also, as a member of the nobility, and the daughter of a Duke, I was bound to marry a person with high social standing."
William rolled his eyes after hearing Rebecca's answer. He didn't think that the hundred-year-genius was a hopeless romantic who only thought about a Prince Charming in fairy tales that would save the Princess from a fire-breathing dragon in a tower far away.
"I can somehow understand the longing for a fairy tale ending," William commented. "I'm sure that everyone would like to live a 'Happily ever after', but life never follows our wishes. Instead, it gives us these trials, breaking us at times, and sometimes, pushing us to the limits, making us wonder if there is a 'Happy Ending', at the end of all of our suffering."
Rebecca nodded in agreement to William's words. She had learned firsthand that if you really wanted something in your life, you needed to strive for it with everything you had.
"How is Sir Lawrence?" William inquired. "It has been a long time since I last saw him."
Rebecca wrinkled her nose after she was reminded about her grandfather, who was egging her to reconcile with William in an attempt to salvage their relationship.
Her Grandfather still hadn't given up on playing matchmaker between her and the Half-Elf, who now stood at the very top of the world.
"My Grandfather is still very healthy and as ambitious as ever," Rebecca replied. "He still has plans to rekindle our broken engagement and hope that our family can benefit by holding onto your thigh."
"Mmm, no wonder he is Gramps friend," William commented. "They are two birds of the same feather."
"Right." Rebecca agreed wholeheartedly. "The Sect Master is truly a greedy person."
William could only bitterly smile after Rebecca reminded him that James was now the Sect Master of the Misty Sect.
The previous Sect Master had become the Vice Sect Master, whom James had assigned to manage the Misty Sect, while he was away.
In short, the Sect, that once stood as one of the most powerful factions in the Central Continent, was now at his Grandpa's beck and call.
William still didn't know how his Grandpa had managed to do it, but knowing James, the latter could definitely scam people even if they knew that they were being scammed.
"How many wives do you have right now?" Rebecca suddenly asked a question that Wiliam didn't expect she would ask.
"Officially married?" William asked back.
"Yes."
"Around... five."
His official wives were only Wendy, Ashe, Chiffon, Princess Sidonie, and Belle.
This reminded the Half-Elf that there were still some people that he promised to marry, but right now, was not the time to do it.
Originally, he planned to marry Estelle and Lilith after returning to the Central Continent from Earth, but many things happened, preventing him from following this plan.
Even now, that the silver-haired beauty had been freed from the curse, and was always with him, he still couldn't find the right time to host a wedding for her.
Lilith was also waiting for him, and he knew that he only needed to say the word and the entirety of the Ainsworth Empire would move mountains to prepare a Grand Wedding that would be remembered in history.
The Half-Elf also remembered the lazy Elf sleeping in the Spring of Life, located at the roots of the World Tree.
He planned to marry Acedia as well, making him start counting with his fingers. He had promised Belle that he would only have nine wives and lovers, but the number of ladies around him had surpassed that number already.
With these three ladies whom he was sure to marry, the number of wives had now gone up to eight.
Then, there was Cathy, who had proclaimed herself to be his Ninth Wife.
The last person he wanted to marry was Celine, closing the number of wives at ten, which was his original plan. But now, that plan was no longer possible.
"You have so many women," Rebecca commented. "And yet, you only have five wives. Do you plan to have more?"
She had noticed that William was counting with his fingers and found this quite amusing.
"I do," William sighed as he gave up counting with his fingers and just laid his hands by his sides. "I plan to take responsibility for all of them."
"Did you plan to become a Harem King from the start?"
"I didn't choose the Harem life, the Harem life chose me."
Rebecca could only smile upon hearing Wiliam's reply. Whatever he wanted to do with his life, she didn't have the right to have a say in his affairs.
"Say, Rebecca, If I ask you a hypothetical question," William said. "Can you give me a hypothetical answer?"
Rebecca arched an eyebrow, but still nodded her head in the end.
"Would you marry someone like me?" William asked.
Rebecca's body stiffened because she didn't expect William's hypothetical question to be something like this.
A few minutes of silence passed before the young lady gave her answer.
That night, under that star-studded sky, two people laid on the grass, and looked for shooting stars, whose swift trails of light flew fleetingly through the distant sky.
Chapter 1406 So, Where Are The Two Little Troublemakers?
Three days after William met Rebecca, the Half-Elf returned to the Ainsworth Empire to resume his goal to visit as many Forbidden Grounds as possible.
Rebecca had also returned to the Misty Sect to handle a few things that William asked of her, allowing the Half-Elf to focus on things that needed his immediate attention.
However, as soon as he arrived at the Royal Palace, he found someone waiting for him, whom he didn't expect to see at this point in time.
"Welcome home, Darling."
A lady whose looks were just a little above average reached out to give William a hug before planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Missed me?"
The red-headed teenager stared at his supposedly Ninth Wife, who now appeared before his eyes.
"Yes, I missed you, Cathy." William replied as he looked at the lady who represented the Eighth Heavenly Virtue of Hope. "What are you doing here?"
"Boooo! Aren't you supposed to kiss me back?" Cathay pouted.
"Well, I can't just arbitrarily kiss you, you know?" William replied. "Especially when you're sharing that body with other people."
"You say that now, but we've done more things than just kissing, remember?"
"This is this, that is that. Besides, it is best to not force this issue in order to respect their feelings as well, right?"
Instead of pouting more, Cathy smiled after hearing the Half-Elf's reply.
She and William knew that Vesta, Pearl, Priscilla, and Amelia, were still not too comfortable when it came to being intimate with him, so the Half-Elf refrained from doing things like kissing, since the last time the two of them had met.
But, William was fine sucking Cathy's blood because it was truly too irresistible to resist. Among his lovers, the Virtuous Lady of Hope had the most delicious blood of all, and he could drink to his fill without any worries.
"Okay, I'll leave aside the fact that you won't kiss me for now," Cathy commented. "But, have you forgotten about some other important matters that you had put on hold? I told you last time didn't I? We still need to go to the Underworld to bring your wives back to the Surface World, or are you fine letting them stay there?"
William's expression immediately became serious after hearing Cathy's words. Although he hadn't forgotten that he needed to go back to the Underworld to bring the souls of his wives back to Hestia, Cathy had told him that they would need some help in order to get to the Underworld because all the entrances that led to it had been forcefully closed by Thanatos, to prevent William from going back to save his wives.
"Did the two of them manage to escape again?" William asked. He was referring to none other than Maple and Cinnamon, who could almost travel anywhere due to their special ability.
"Yes," Cathy replied with a smile. "The little ones managed to run away from home again."
The Half-Elf gave a bitter smile because he could already tell how panicked the two little gluttons' parents would be when they found out that they had disappeared once again.
However, he also felt that this was a good opportunity to go to the Underworld and rescue his wives once and for all.
"Should I bring some Pseudo-Gods with me?" William asked.
He knew that Thanatos would make things difficult for him, and there was also a high possibility that he and the God of Death would come to blows.
"Silly. If you do that, it would be the same as declaring war on him," Cathy rolled her eyes at the Half-Elf who planned to bring his heavy hitters to face off with the God of Death.
"He is barely tolerating your existence. Adding fuel to the fire will do you no good. The only person you need to bring along is none other than Erinys. Since you need someone to help you move around in his Domain, the best person to assist you is none other than a Ferryman of the Underworld."
William nodded his head in understanding. The Underworld had many layers, and there were strict rules about how one could traverse them. Having Erinys around was like having a supervisor guide you inside their office, which would be far easier than William trying to brute force his way in.
"Don't worry, this time, we will use a special method to sneak you inside without the Big Boss knowing you were there," Cathy stated. "Of course, there is still a chance that he will find out. But, when that happens, I want you to be calm and talk to him in a civil manner. Never, ever, use violence against him. That is the God of Death, you know? He's called a God of Death for a reason."
William could only give Cathy a bitter smile.
When he left the Underworld, he had felt Thanatos rage-filled gaze as he stepped onto the staircase that would allow him to return to the Surface World. Several months had passed since that incident, and he hoped that the God of Death had already cooled his head, and would show him a bit of mercy as he snuck around inside his Domain.
"So, where are the two little troublemakers?" William asked.
Last time, he went to Earth alongside his lovers in order to find Maple and Cinnamon. Since Cathy told him that the two were once again away from home, he expected to find the two little gluttons wandering around looking for something good to eat.
Seeing his expression, Cathy already understood what the Half-Elf was thinking, making her smile.
"We don't have to look far to find them," Cathy replied. "They are currently in the Demon Continent, and staying with your cousin, Eve, in the Temple of the Gods."
William sighed internally because he thought that he would have to go back to Earth again to look for Maple and Cinnamon. The Bifrost Bridge had already set its coordinates to Earth, but the connection between the two worlds was still unstable, so William didn't want to risk going there for the time being.
Since the two gluttons were only in the Demon Continent, it didn't take long for William, as well as Cathy, to arrive at the Temple of the Gods where his cousin, Eve, was currently staying.
Chapter 1407 If I Have To Go To Hell And Back For Us To Be Together Again Then So Be It
When William arrived at the Temple, he found Maple and Cinnamon playing cards with Eve and the Six-Eared Macaque.
The game that the four of them were playing was Old Maid, and judging by the look of things, the Six-Eared Macaque seemed to be one on the losing side.
The Half-Elf didn't even need to think how this happened because he was sure that the Pseudo-God was losing on purpose in order to entertain the three girls, who were looking at him with teasing gazes.
A few minutes later, the game ended with the Six-Eared Macaque looking pitiful, while Maple and Cinnamon clapped their hands happily because they were the first to finish the game.
"Cousin!" Eve, who finally sensed William's presence, stood up and walked towards him with a smile. "I haven't seen you in a while."
William smiled and gave Eve a hug before planting a kiss on her forehead.
"I've been quite busy as of late," William replied. "How about you? Are you not overworked as of late?"
"No. Everyone in the Temple has been nice to me," Eve commented. "Also, the recent changes in the policy of the Demon Continent made by Big Sister Nisha were well received by the Demon Tribes, giving everyone some peace of mind as they focus on the upcoming war against the Giants."
William nodded his head in satisfaction because Nisha had really gone above and beyond in order to ensure that the Demon Realm would no longer have any civil strife.
Eve was also widely loved and respected by the Demons.
With the Six-Eared Macaque guarding her, no one in their right minds would dare to even touch a strand of her hair, or else they would face the wrath of the Pseudo-God, who only acted like a fool and a loser on the surface.
"Have you come for Maple and Cinnamon?" Eve asked as she glanced at the two little girls who had also walked up to William with expectant faces.
"Yes." William nodded before shifting his attention to the two pink-haired girls who were being petted by Cathy. "Have the two of you been good girls since the last time we saw each other?"
"I am always a good girl," Maple replied.
"Cinnamon has always been a good girl," Cinnamon answered.
William smiled because in his eyes, the two little troublemakers were indeed good girls. Deep inside he gave a silent prayer to their worried mother, who was still not used to seeing her two daughters suddenly disappear from time to time.
After saying goodbye to Eve, William took Maple, Cinnamon, and Cathy to the Floor of Asgard.
Cathy said that it would be best to open the portal leading to the Underworld inside the Tower of Babylon because the spell that she would cast would require a place that was not privy to the gazes of the Gods.
The Tower of Babylon was such a place.
The young lady carved out some runic words as she created a magic circle that Maple and Cinnamon would use as a platform to open the portal.
The spell that Cathy was going to cast would hide William's ,Erinys', and the two girls' presence the moment they entered the Domain of the Dead.
It was simply impossible to enter the Underworld without being noticed by the God that governs it. However, because Cathy represented Hope, she had the power to temporarily hoodwink the God of Death, allowing the Half-Elf and the others to slip through undetected.
"Remember this," Cathy said as she finished creating the magic circle. "This spell will not last for long. There is also a possibility that Thanatos will be able to detect all of you once you enter his Domain. He has already prepared for the possibility that you will find a way to sneak past his blockade, so be extra careful. I already told you to talk things out with him, but there is a chance that he will not listen to your reason, or excuses."
Cathy then tossed three empty vials to the Half-Elf, which the latter caught easily using Wind Magic.
"You can store the souls of your wives there," Cathy explained. "You don't need to look for Celine. She is not bound by the rules of the Underworld because she is part of the living. Her Patron Goddess has already taken care of her, so that is one less load on your shoulders."
Cathy's expression became serious as she looked at the Half-Elf, who had a determined look on his face.
"Maple and Cinnamon can open a portal to enter and exit the Underworld, so no matter what happens, protect them at all costs," Cathy stated. "If there is no other choice but to fight against Thanatos, remember this, do not let his Deathscythe hit you no matter what. Because when that happens, your soul will be cleaved in two, which is similar to an Eternal Death."
Cathy's body glowed briefly as she undid the fusion with the other girls. However, before she disappeared completely, the Half-Elf heard her encouragement.
"May Fortune be with you always."
That was the last thing Cathy said before her body turned into particles of light.
A moment later, seven ladies stood before William, looking at him with different expressions on their faces.
Through Cathy, they knew that the red-headed teenager planned to go to the Underworld in order to rescue the souls of his wives.
This act of bravery moved them, and even Pearl, who hated William the most among the seven girls that represented Hope, looked at the Half-Elf who was about to face the God of Death with steely eyes.
"Aren't you scared?" Pearl asked.
"I am," William replied. "But, nothing scares me more than living the rest of my life without the women who love me with all of their hearts by my side. If I have to go to Hell and back for us to be together again then so be it."
Suddenly, Haleth ran towards William and hugged him.
"Please be careful," Haleth said softly. "Remember that there are others who love you, and are waiting for you to return."
"Mmm," William replied as he lightly patted Haleth's back. "I will return. I promise."
Erinys smiled as she walked towards William and held his hand.
"Don't worry," Erinys stated. "I will protect you from Father."
The Half-Elf wanted to laugh after hearing the doll-like beauty's words. After spending a few months with Medusa and Cherry, Erinys became a bit braver in her words, and actions. But, since it would ruin the atmosphere, he just smiled and nodded his head.
"We're off," William said as he looked at Maple and Cinnamon. "Let's go, Maple, Cinnamon."
"Okay!"
"Cinnamon will do her best!"
The two little girls held hands as they swung their free hand in a circular motion, creating a small spark in front of them. Slowly but surely, a circle started to expand, opening the pathway to the Underworld.
After many months of separation, William would once again enter the Land of the Death and, this time, he would not return until the souls of his beloved wives were back safely by his side.