《The Legendary Baka Warriors》 -1 Class Classifications [Body Physique Classes] E - Normal Body Physique (Commoners) D - Slightly above normal. C - Stronger than normal men. B - Enhanced Physical/Magical Abilities A - Has a bloodline ability. S - Inborn special abilities from physique/bloodline. Can have more than one bloodline ability. SR - Has a special physique/bloodlines akin to mythical/legendary beasts (Example: Dragon Bloodline, Phoenix Bloodline, Lightning Spirit Veins, Fire Spirit Veins, etc. ). Able to use the advance power of their bloodline abilities. SSR - Pure Bloodline/Physique. Able to wield the full power of their bloodline abilities and Body Physique abilities. Black - Bloodline/Physique of Deities or what you call Lesser Gods ---------------------------------------- [Magic Power Classes] E - Unable to use magic power. D - Very little magic power. Just enough to use storage items like storage rings, storage bags etc. C - Is able to cast basic magic spells. (Example: Stone Bullet, Fire Bullet, Water Bullet, Air Bullet, Cure etc.) B - Able to cast second level spells. (Example: Fireball, Stone spikes, Water Ball, Air Slash, Heal etc.) A - Has the ability to feel and harness the flow of mana in the surroundings. Can use the mana to enhance their magic power to cast advanced third level spells. S - Larger mana pool and able to cast spells simultaneously. Can use 4th level magic spells. (Example: Fire Wall, Stone Wall, Hydro Ball, Air Blast, Great Heal.) SR - Able to fly in the sky with the use of magic power in the environment. Can summon Elementals to fight for them and use 5th level magic spells. (Example: Fire Elemental, Mass Healing, etc.) SSR - The Pinnacle of the Mortal Realm. The power they wield are able to destroy cities. Can use up to 7th level magic spells. (Example: Summon Lord Class Elementals, Greater Mass Healing, Fire Storm, Lightning Storm.) Black - Breaks through the boundaries of the Mortal Realm. The powers they wield are akin to Deities or what you call Lesser Gods. ---------------------------------------- [Guild Rankings] Class E - Beginner Class D - Intermediate Class C - Experienced Class B - Veteran Class A - Elite Class S - Champions Class SR - Emperor/Empress Class SSR - Sovereigns Class Black - Supreme 1 Prologue Today is a special day for the citizens of Edelweiss. The hero of the kingdom, the handsome young master of Ravencourt is about to arrive at the city gates. Rows upon rows of beautiful women lined up on the sidewalk to gaze at the fabled handsome young master of Ravencourt. It didn''t take long before a grand procession arrived at the city gates. Taking the lead was a young man riding a white horse. He was dressed in black clothing that matched his elegant demeanor. His carefree smile instantly captured the hearts of all the ladies present. A pretty girl dressed in noble clothing screamed from the side of the city gate. "Kyaaaah! Kyaaaaah! It''s the handsome young master!" The young man casually flipped his shiny black hair as if to tell everyone "Go on ladies, praise me more." A busty lady in her early twenties gasped, "He''s so dreamy! So handsome!" She pushed the crowd in front of her to have a better look. "Handsome young master! I love you!" A teenage girl with cute curls shouted from ten meters away. The young man winked at the teenage girl and blew her a kiss. The teenage girl was overwhelmed with emotion causing her to faint with a smile on her face. A beautiful middle-aged woman threw him seductive looks. "Handsome young master, I want your child!" The young man chuckled and it made the middle-aged woman''s legs turn to jelly. She helplessly flopped down on the ground as her pupils turned into hearts while staring at him. An old woman wearing a pink dress broke out from the crowd and ran in his direction. "Handsome young master please marry me!" Her sudden action made her legs cramp, and she fell helplessly face first on the hard cobblestone street. She closed her eyes, and braced herself. She waited for the pain to come, but it never did. Instead of the hard cobble stone hitting her face, something soft and warm replaced it. The old lady slowly opened her eyes, and saw the hero of the kingdom cradling her in his embrace. He smiled at her, and asked in a worried voice. "Grandma, are you hurt anywhere?" The hero of the kingdom was just too handsome, and the old lady was mesmerized by his looks. "N-no, I''m fine. Thank you for saving me." She forcefully averted her gaze to the side. Looking at his sincere and beautiful brown eyes made her heart pound like crazy. Her wrinkled face turned beet red. This was the first time that a man managed to capture her heart. The handsome young master lifted her in a princess carry, and carried her towards the priests who was part of his entourage. The young ladies who saw this scene was filled with envy. They cursed themselves for not running towards their hero, and accidentally "trip" in order to get his attention. They lost the chance, and they were not shameless enough to make another scene in front of the crowd. After making sure that the priests are looking after the grandma, the handsome young master took the lead once more and walked on the street. He held the reigns of his horse as he waved at the crowd. His elegance and charisma made the ladies go wild with fervor. A beautiful lady wearing seductive clothes jumped up and down from where she stood. "Kyaaaah! He smiled at me! He waved at me!" "No! he smiled at me!" The pretty girl standing next to her refuted. "No! He smiled and waved at me!" Another girl joined their conversation. "Wanna fight?!" "Hah! Bring it on!" The handsome young man saw the commotion and decided to intervene. He coughed a few times and it caught the crowd''s attention. The argument died down, and everyone gazed at him. "Girls, there is no need for you to fight among yourselves because," the handsome young master paused and struck a cool pose, "I love all of you equally." he added. The ladies weren''t able to stop themselves and screamed in delight. Some of them threw their shame away and ran in his direction. "Handsome young master, make me your concubine!" "Handsome young master, please give me your baby!" "Handsome young master, make me your slave!" "Handsome young master, make me your pet!" "Handsome young master, ravage me!" The handsome young master didn''t brush them off. Instead he encouraged them to embrace him. "Girls, come into my arms, and let the handsome me make your dreams come true!" "Handsome young master!" The beautiful ladies went wild because of his declaration. He was showered with kisses and they caressed every part of his body. Nothing escaped the ladies clutches, and their hands wandered freely. The handsome young master sighed in bliss at the sweet sensation of soft hands caressing his face. The soft hand caressing his face felt familiar. It was a hand that he had held so many times in the past. "Handsome young master, it''s morning. Time to wake up." A voice spoke in his mind. He slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the beautiful lady lying beside him. "Just ten more minutes." He said. "If that is your wish, then this humble servant dare not disobey." "Mmm." And with that, the handsome young master closed his eyes one more time.He has ten more minutes to embrace the beautiful ladies in his dream. 2 Finding Happiness "Mirror Mirror on the wall, aren''t I the most handsome of them all?" A young man, around eighteen years old, stared passionately at the mirror in front of him. Suddenly, a loud crack was heard as if to reply to his question. The young man''s face went stiff as the mirror in front of him shattered into pieces. He scanned the room in vigilance to see if someone was watching. Seeing no one in the immediate vicinity, he decided to make a run for it. He walked swiftly towards the exit as naturally as possible. He was just a few steps away from the door when a palm grabbed his shoulders. "Sir, where do you think you''re going?" The young man slowly turned his head to see a fat guy wearing expensive clothing smiling back at him. Sweat formed on the young man''s forehead as his mind worked overtime to think of a way to get out of his current predicament. The fat man was not being idle either -- he gave a hand signal to the staff and they formed a circle with the two of them in the center. The young man understood--through his countless experiences of this exact situation--that offense was the best defense. "Excuse me? Why are you grabbing my shoulder?! Is this how you treat your customers?!" The young man shouted. He had raised his voice on purpose to get the attention of the other customers in the store. The fat merchant eased his grip and looked at the other customers with asmile. Feeling the grip on his shoulder lessen, the young man wore a smug grin on his face. ''Heh, trying to outplay me?'' The young man thought. ''you are a hundred years too early!'' The young man brushed the hand away that was keeping him in place. He glared at the fat man with injustice painted all over his face. The fat man gave a brief bow and introduced himself. "Sir, I am Nicholas Roge, the branch manager of Roge Merchant Guild here in the city of Aster." Nicholas said. "I see! So it''s sir Nicholas. I''ve heard great things about you!" "Sir, you know of me? Then I''ll get straight to the point. You broke that--" The young man knew where this was headed. Before Nicholas could say anything else, he decided cut him off. "Of course I know you! You are the number one lolicon in the city of Aster. I''m glad I''m a guy, if I was a girl you would have already kidnapped me!" The young man said, giving the merchant a disdainful look. The customers in the store started whispering to each other. They glanced at Nicholas from time to time and their eyes contain looks of disgust. Nicholas almost spat a mouthful of blood then and there. ''Who would want to kidnap you?! Your face alone is enough to break a mirror in my shop! If no one was around I would had already spat on your face!'' He used all of his will power to stop himself from beating the teenager in front of him to a pulp. He forcefully held his anger in check and continue to smile. "May I know your name Mr.Customer?" Nicholas asked. He wanted to know the name of this annoying teenager in front of him and send goons to beat him up later. The young man flicked his hair dramatically. "Remember my name and remember it well!" The young man made another cool pose and arrogantly raised his chin. "I am Kei Frieden! The 4th son of the Earl of RavenCourt, most handsome man in the Earldom, and number one heartrob of Edelweiss!" ''Wha-What?! The 4th son of the Earl of Ravencourt?!'' Nicholas almost had a heart attack after learning the young man''s identity. The gears in his mind churned. His attitude did a complete 180 and he immediately gave the young man his most elegant bow. He had heard rumors about the fabled "handsome young master" of Ravencourt. He praised himself for holding back, and not spitting on the young man''s face earlier. "Hehe, so it is the famed handsome young master of RavenCourt. Forgive me for not being able to recognize your greatness." Nicholas said. "The great and handsome me forgives you of your shortcomings." Kei said, waving his hand. Nicholas believed in the saying ''Strike while the Iron is hot.'' He knew that this opportunity may not come again, so he decided to make his move. Nicholas rubbed his hands together and tried to score some brownie points. "Handsome young master, if you like anything from the store just give the word and I shall give it to you as a gift." "Mmm? Are you sure about that? Then can you give me the most expens--" Nicholas coughed repeatedly, "Hah, my health is deteriorating. Business had been hard as of late. How will I be able to care for my four wives and twelve children if I don''t make a profit soon?" Kei almost choked at the shameless attempt of Nicholas to prevent him from asking for the most expensive item in the store. ''What? Four wives and twelve children? With your looks and fat body that is enough to turn any woman into a pancake if you slightly press on them? How can you be shameless?! I spit on you! Pitui!'' Kei cursed Nicholas in his head. Nicholas gave Kei a pleading look as if saying ''Please have mercy on me, my wives, and children.'' ''Fine, you win. I can''t be too greedy.'' Kei compromised. "Then do you have any recommendations?". "Are you looking for something particular handsome young master?" Nicholas signaled the staff with a hand gesture. They obeyed and left the two of them alone. "Actually, I''m here to look for souvenirs to bring back home." "Souvenirs for men or women?" "For women." "Then in that case, I highly recommend accessories." Nicholas led Kei to the corner of the store where the accessories are displayed. "All women like accessories. The more expensive it is, the more they love it." Nicholas confidently shared his wisdom. "Mmm. Indeed accessories are a good choice." Kei said, "Can I take a closer look at those two butterfly hair pins over there?" Kei pointed to the two butterfly hairpins that caught his attention. Nicholas gently took the two hairpins from their casing, and presented them to Kei. "You have good eyes handsome young master. These two hairpins were made by a great craftsman from Gladeolus." Nicholas paused for a bit, "He said that anyone who wears these hairpins will find their happiness in life." he added. "Find happiness¡­" Kei''s gaze became gentle as he caressed the two butterfly hair pins in his hands. "Will you take these two hairpins handsome young master?" "Yes, I''ll take them. Thank you for your generosity." "It''s my pleasure to serve you handsome young master." "Sorry about the mirror." "Mirror? What mirror?" The two of them chuckled and gave each other a knowing glance. "Please carefully package these two hairpins for the handsome young master." Nicholas ordered. One of his trusted aids brought out two ornate boxes and carefully placed the hairpins inside. Once that is done, they took out a storage bag and placed the two boxes inside. Kei accepted the storage bag with a smile. Nicholas personally escorted him to the entrance of the store to bid his farewell. "Nicholas, I will repay this favor in the future." Kei said. Nicholas chuckled. "I will hold on to your words handsome young master." "Believe in me. A member of the Frieden family always repay his favor." Kei bid his goodbye and walked away. Nicholas have no doubt in his mind that Kei will keep his promise. He is, after all, one of the "Overlords" of the Federation. ----------------------------------- Kei walked towards a secluded clearing outside the city. There was a carriage parked near a tree as if waiting for his arrival. He cheerfully shouted from the distance. "I have returned!" "Handsome young master! You''re finally back!" A tall and beautiful woman with long, light-brown hair happily ran in his direction. "Milfa, where is your sister?" "Sister is still sorting out the inventory in the carriage. She''ll be finished soon." Kei gave Milfa one of the ornate boxes. "Then please take this." "Handsome young master, this is?" "A gift for you." "Only for me?" "Yes, I have one for your sister as well." Kei showed Milfa another ornate box in his possession. Milfa curled her lips into a smile and opened the box in her hand. Her eyes sparkled when she saw the butterfly hairpin. "Do you like it?" "It''s beautiful!" Kei gazed at the beautiful lady in front of him, and decided to tell her a bit about the hairpin. "The merchant said that these two butterfly hairpins will bring happiness to those who wear them." Kei said. "I hope that you and your sister will find your happiness as well." "Handsome young master, did you know?" Milfa''s beautiful hazel eyes have a mischievous glint in them as he stared at the young man in front of her. "Know what?" "I already found my happiness." "Mmm?" Milfa blushed and shyly turned her back at him. "Handsome young master, can you help me put the hairpin on my hair?" "Of course." Kei took the hairpin from her hand and gently fixed her hair in a ponytail. He then locked it securely in place using the hairpin. "It''s done." Kei admired his work and gave his nod of approval. "How do I look, handsome young master?" "You look beautiful." Kei said. A tall woman who looked just like Milfa poked her head from the carriage. "Wow! That hairpin sure looks beautiful!" "Don''t worry Tifa, you have one as well." Kei said, chuckling. He went to the carriage and handed the butterfly hairpin to Milfa''s twin sister. "This hairpin brings happiness to those who wear them. I hope you will find your happiness as well." Tifa accepted the gift gratefully and winked at her sister. Kei saw that there are still a few packages that are needed to be organized and decided to help. With the three of them working together, the inventory was finished in no time at all. "Mmm, is everything ready?" Milfa gave the inventory one last glance. She nodded her head and gave him a thumbs up. "Everything is ready, handsome young master." "Then let''s go. Let''s head to the city of Amaranth!" Kei ordered. ""As you command, Handsome Young Master!"" 3 Tavern Brawl Milfa woke to the sound of birds chirping. She had the habit of waking up at this time of the day due to her duties as her young master''s retainer. She glanced at her twin sister Tifa, who is still sleeping beside her. ''You''re the older one, shouldn''t you wake up earlier than me?'' Milfa sighed. ''But, if that were to happen, then I''ll probably lose one of the things that make my mornings complete.'' Milfa slowly stood up from the bed and did some basic stretches. She stopped after she felt that her muscles are no longer stiff from sleep. She gave her sister one last glance and left the room. She headed towards her young master''s room with a slight spring in her step. She opened the door and headed straight to the bed. Her young master is still sleeping like a pig. She giggled at the sight of his messy black hair and wiped the drool that is coming out from the side of his mouth. "Handsome young master, it''s morning. Time to wake up." Milfa said. She opened the curtains and sunlight poured down from the window. "Mmm." Kei stirred in his sleep. Milfa sat on the bed and caressed his cheeks. She knew that her young master will be waking up soon, so she took this opportunity to get some skinship. Her young master''s face is rough to the touch, but she did not mind. Kei slowly opened his eyes. He felt someone caressing his cheek and knew that it was Milfa who have come to wake him up. While he won''t admit it in the open, waking up in this manner makes him happy. "Just ten more minutes." Kei said. "If that is your wish, then this humble servant dare not disobey." "Mmm." Kei closed his eyes one more time. He was very tired because he stayed up late last night writing letters. Milfa stood up from the bed and organized the letters that her young master wrote last night. She will have to send them by messenger hawks on her young master''s stead. True to his word, Kei lazily stood up from the bed after ten minutes. He yawned and did his morning stretches. While doing so, he glanced at Milfa who was only wearing a one piece night dress and frowned. "You know, you shouldn''t go out of your room wearing only a night dress. Even if our rooms are just right next to each other." "Understood handsome young master, it won''t happen again." "Mmm, as long as you understand." Milfa smiled at Kei. "But, can I wear this to wake you up when we go back to the Frieden Estate?" "Of course you can." Kei said. "After all, I am a healthy young man. Who wouldn''t want to see a beauty like you in her lingerie?" Milfa gazed at her young master. One of his thick eyebrows were raised and his thick lips formed a nasty grin. If other women were to see his current expression, they would be already be running for their lives. She giggled and winked at her young master. "All you need to do is give the order handsome young master, and I''ll happily wear anything for you." Kei chuckled and waved his hand. "Go and wake your older sister, let''s have breakfast together." Kei said. "As you wish, handsome young master." "Mmm." Kei watched Milfa leave the room. After making sure that she is gone, he rubbed his cheeks in order to erase the silly grin on his face. ''Ai~ Milfa''s feelings towards me hasn''t changed. I better give her a proper answer soon.'' He washed his face and wore his clothes. He waited for the twins to knock on his door and the three of them went to the tavern together. The tavern was filled with adventurers during this time of day. Some of them are preparing for their raid while others are just lazing around waiting for their party members to show up. The moment Kei''s party entered the dungeon, all eyes focused on the two beauties beside him. "Whoa! Such beautiful twins!" an adventurer in his early twenties exclaimed in delight. "Damn! Why are they accompanying a goblin? They''re better off accompanying someone like me!" An adventurer with with above average looks gritted his teeth in envy. "Two beautiful flowers placed in a pile of dung! What a waste!" A middle aged man lamented. Looks of envy and hate were directed at Kei. He just smiled and arrogantly raised his chin. "Will you look at that girls, I''m so handsome that all the men can''t help but give me envious looks." Kei said. The adventurers glared at him. Some of them ogled the two beauties beside him. Kei sighed while striking a pose that irked the adventurers in the tavern even more. "Hah~ Being handsome is a sin." The bartender spat in disdain. ''What?! you''re handsome? What part of you is handsome? Your nose? You fool!'' "The handsome me will grace this tavern with my presence. All of you are lucky to have this opportunity to gaze upon the handsome me." Kei said. The eyes of the adventurers went bloodshot and some of them stood up in anger. They''ve seen shameless people before, but they never saw someone this shameless. It would had been fine if he really is as handsome as he proclaim to be. But, someone with a face that is slightly better than a goblin dares to call himself handsome? Even if the gods allow it, they will not allow it! The adventurers were raring to give Kei a good beating. Seeing the situation play out the way it did, Kei raised his chin arrogantly and spoke. "I know the handsome me have a drop dead, gorgeous, sexy body, but I only like women! I don''t like men! So all of you boys can just vent your frustrations on each other!" With a shout of anger and frustration, a teenage adventurer ran towards Kei''s direction with a wooden chair in his hand. The teenage adventurer screamed, "You bastard! If you''re handsome then there''s no handsome men in this world!" The other adventurers followed suit and ran toward Kei with the intention of beating him to a pulp. "You-You crazy guys I just said I don''t like men!" Kei said. "Just roll over and die you bastard!" the teenage adventurer was about to smash the chair on Kei''s head when he was sent flying with a kick by Tifa. "Handsome young master, please step back." Tifa said. "Let us handle the rest, handsome young master." Milfa stood in front of Kei and glared at the adventurers. Kei sighed and crossed his arms on his chests. ''Mmm, go get them girls.'' 4 Bane of Men, Envy of Women The adventurers stopped in their tracks and stared at each other. They don''t want to hurt the girls, they just want to teach Kei a lesson. The adventurer with above average looks stepped forward to mediate between the two parties. "Ladies, we don''t want to hurt you so please step aside." Tifa raised one of her beautiful eyebrows and looked at him. "If we refuse?" "Why must you girls be like this? We only want to teach that brat a lesson." A skinny adventurer said. "How about you accompany us instead of that guy? If you do, we will forget about this little incident." A middle aged man spoke from the side. "That''s a great idea! Our party is looking for new members. Join our party instead!" A suave looking adventurer leered at the two of them. "Hmmp! I thought you were righteous men, but all of you are just horny dogs." Kei said. "The handsome me is disgusted with all of you! Pitui!" His spittle flew far and hit the suave looking adventurer''s face. "You Bastard!" The suave looking adventurer lunged at Kei with a vengeance. He was met with Milfa''s fist and flew to the other side of the room hitting tables as he pass by. "Don''t try our patience little girls! If you want to play rough, this daddy will accompany you!" The middle-aged adventurer swung his broadsword. "Guys, let us all calm down! How about I give all of you my autograph? Sounds good right?" Kei said. All the adventurers including the bartender glared at him. "You know, this wouldn''t have happened, if you weren''t envious of my handsome looks." Kei paused and gave everyone a smile. "I mean, I know I''m good looking, but what does it have to do with you people?" The adventurers flinched at Kei''s question. They tried to recall what happened when Kei''s party entered the tavern. All he did was say that "he was handsome" and nothing more. He might only be slightly better looking than a goblin, but so what? Can''t someone with those kind of looks call themselves handsome? If they can''t call themselves handsome, then who will? They got agitated because there are twin beauties by his side. They felt like it was a waste that they are accompanying someone like him, instead of someone like them. They all glanced at each other in dismay. Even the bartender were deep in thought. They all realized that the one who was in the wrong was them and not Kei. "Handsome young master, you don''t have to say anything. These men won''t understand." Milfa said. Kei tapped her shoulder with his hand and shook his head. "Master, I''ll pay for the damages I''ve caused in your establishment". Kei stepped forward and headed towards the bartender. Tifa and Milfa stood in place and remained vigilant. The adventurers made a path for him. They felt ashamed of themselves for getting riled up because of envy and jealousy. They went back to their tables and resumed their drinking. Kei arrived at the counter and placed a gold coin on top of it. The bartender almost choked when he saw the single gold coin on top of his counter. The bartender muttered something in a low voice that only Kei can hear, "You expect to pay the damages in my tavern with a single gold coin? Do you want me to slap you?!" Kei chuckled and added another gold coin. He smirked at the bartender as if saying "See? I added one more, I''m not only handsome but generous as well." The bartender snorted, "You call this generosity? It will cost me ten gold coins to repair all the damages your party has done to my store, and you only give me two gold coins?" Kei''s lips twitched. He pondered for a bit and added eight more gold coins and one copper coin on the counter. The bartender didn''t know whether he should laugh or cry at this young man''s "generosity." He grudgingly accepted the compensation and sighed. "So what will you be having?" The bartender asked. "Give me your specialty of the day. Please make it good for three people. No wine, but fruit juice will do." Kei said. The bartender nodded and left. Tifa and Milfa occupied a vacant table and Kei sat beside them. Kei winked at the two ladies in front of him. "Mmm, we always get in trouble because the two of you are beautiful. It might be a great idea if both of you wear veils or masks the next time we go on a trip." "Handsome young master, most of the time we get into trouble because of you." Tifa said, smiling. "Yes, handsome young master you are a troublemaker." Milfa supported her sister. Kei rolled his eyes at the two of them and brushed his eyebrows with his finger. Tifa and Milfa are identical twins and the only way to differentiate the two of them are their eyes. Both of them have light-brown eyes, but if you look close enough, you''ll see the difference. "Excuse me, here is your order." A young man in his teens accompanied by the bartender gently set down a tray of sandwiches on their table. His eye lingered on the twins for a few seconds, before he turned around and went back to the kitchen. The bartender, on the other hand, set down a small tray of salad, and a jug of fruit juice. He gave Kei a brief nod and went back to the counter. "Poor lad, I bet he''ll be dreaming of the two of you tonight." Kei said. Tifa chuckled and Milfa gave Kei a wink. The twins are simply the bane of men, and their curvaceous body is the envy of women. Kei can''t recount the number of incidents, that had transpired during their journey because of the two women accompanying him. He knew that there will be a few more incidents along the way and it gave him a headache. "Later, we''re going to buy masks for the two of you." Kei commented. "As you wish, handsome young master." the twins said at the same time. Kei grabbed a sandwich and took a big bite. "Mmm, roast pork and pickled cucumber sandwich, not bad." Kei said. He briefly glanced at two ladies who were eating their sandwich. He can tell that the cook gave them special treatment and prepared "smoked salmon salad sandwich" just for the two of them. He decided to turn a blind eye on the cook''s discrimination and asked Tifa a serious question. "Will we meet Little John in the next town?" "Yes, handsome young master. One of the messenger hawks arrived yesterday while you were writing letters. Little John and her sister Little Daisy will be waiting for our arrival in the next town." There was a tinge of excitement in her voice when she mentioned Little John''s letter. Tifa has liked Little John for years, but he''s too dense to understand her advances. Kei decided to just watch from the side and let nature take its course. He hoped that Tifa won''t get impatient and beat the crap out of Little John for being a dense protagonist. ''I hate dense protagonist the most.'' [A/N: I hate them too.] Kei asked, "Oh? He brought Little Daisy as well?" "Yes, he''s too worried about leaving her sister alone." "He did the right thing. I too will be worried if he left Little Daisy alone." Milfa listened to the conversation while eating her sandwich. It didn''t take long before the three finish their breakfast and left the tavern. Kei headed to a craft artisan''s shop and bought the twins suitable masks to hide their faces. He pondered for a bit and decided to buy a few expensive masks with special abilities. Kei had a nagging feeling that they will be needing them soon. 5 The Harkon Brigade Back at the Tavern¡­ The suave looking adventurer slowly opened his eyes. ''That ugly bastard¡­I''ll make him pay.'' He checked his body for injuries and was surprised when he found out that he didn''t receive as much damage as he initially thought he would have. ''Look like that b*tch held back a bit.'' He sighed. He stood up using his body''s inner strength and wiped the dust off his clothes with his hands. His chest was still in pain, but it doesn''t hinder him from moving. ''I better tell the boss about this incident. No one messes with the Harkon Brigade and gets away with it.'' He moved towards the exit. The adventurers in the tavern glanced at him with interest. The Harkon brigade is notorious in this part of the Kingdom for being one of the top adventurer guilds. They don''t have a bad reputation. In fact, they are a famous guild that helps others in need. They are known for being a tight-knit group of people, and anyone who harms one of their members in any way, becomes the enemy of their entire guild. The adventurers have amused expressions. Clearly, they are itching to watch a play unfold. The suave adventurer walked out of the tavern and headed toward their guild''s headquarters. The city of Amaranth has three major guilds. The Exodus Knights, Harkon Brigade, and the Terra Riders. ----------------------------------- In the Guildmaster''s quarters of the Harkon Brigade, a middle-aged man was reading the reports that was submitted to him by his special agents. Their guild has a special team dedicated in getting the latest news from all over the kingdom of Edelweiss. His name is Jack Megan. The guildmaster of the Harkon Brigade and one of the most charitable person in Kingdom. There was a smile on his face as he read a particular report about the orphanage that their guild has built in the city of Amaranth. "The orphans are fed and clothed properly. The caretakers are doing their job properly, this is good." Jack muttered. He opened another letter and his smile grew wider. ''The headmaster of the Academy had accepted my proposal to give the orphans a 30% discount on their tuition fees. This is good news indeed. I guess I''ll have to make a trip to the Academy so I can personally thank him for his generosity.'' Jack leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. He still has a lot of things to do and more report to read. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. He opened his eyes and fixed his posture. "Come in." Jack said. "Guildmaster, sorry to disturb you." The suave adventurer entered the room. "Oh, it''s just you Nick. Did you perhaps had a hard time in the dungeon?" Jack noticed the disheveled state of one of his core members. "Guildmaster, someone beat me up in the tavern." Nick replied. Jack narrowed his eyes, "Tell me everything that happened." "Sir, this is what happened." Nick gave an honest narration of what happened in the tavern. Jack frowned while listening to the story. "So, basically, you got jealous and decided to create trouble?" "Yes¡­" Nick lowered his head in shame while Jack tapped the surface of the table with his finger. He knew that his subordinate was in the wrong, but he is also curious about the identity of the people that beat him up. Each member of the Harkon brigade carries an emblem that they pin on their clothes. It gives them the identification that they belong to the guild. The emblems can only be acquired by passing a rigorous test that is personally given by the guildmaster. ''The Harkon Brigade is well-known in the city of Amaranth and for them to attack one of my members can only mean one thing, they are not citizens from the Dukedom of Windsor.'' Jack concluded. "You say that the lady is an expert warrior?" Jack asked. "Yes sir. I''m sure that her fighting ability is on the A-Class. If we can invite her to the guild, then it will be a big boost to our fighting force." Nick replied. Jack kept on tapping the surface of the table. He was weighing the pros and cons of acquiring new A-Class warriors for their guild. Having A-Class fighters is a great addition to any force in the Kingdom. "You know you were in the wrong yes?" Jack asked. "Yes, sir." "But, you still want to get revenge right?" "Yes, sir." Jack sighed. He knew that this may not end up well, but his guild can''t suffer any grievances or the other two guilds will look down on them. "Try to settle this peacefully. If the other party apologizes, just ask for a small compensation. If he refuse, then you can beat him up. But, make sure that you don''t kill, maim, or give any severe injury to him. After all, you didn''t receive a heavy injury from them. Understood?" Jack said. "Yes sir." "Arnold, accompany him and make sure that my orders are followed properly." Jack glanced at the wall on his left. "As you command, guildmaster." A man wearing purple clothing slowly emerged from the wall, "Can I take the 3rd battalion with me?" he added. "The 3rd battalion have been idle as of late. You can do whatever you want with them. Also, try to invite the lady to join our guild." Jack said. "If she refuse?" "Then, let her be. The Harkon Brigade don''t force anyone to join our ranks." "As you command, guildmaster" Arnold replied. Arnold and Nick left the room in a hurry. They need to make sure that their targets will not be able to escape their pursuit. Jack stood up and glanced at the city outside the window. He wished that the peace of the Kingdom will last forever, but he knew that it was impossible. The king is getting old and a crown prince must be named before he retire. The ascension of a king has always been filled with struggle. He hope that the fight for the throne will not drag their guild in the middle of the storm. He don''t want to sacrifice his men, just to please one of the princes of the kingdom. "I hope, nothing goes wrong." Jack muttered. 6 Old Ginger is Spicier Kei and the twins are headed towards the main attraction of the city, the Dungeon of Greed. The city of Amaranth is one of the few cities in the kingdom that is built around a dungeon. Dungeons bring wealth and opportunities to people who are brave enough to enter its depths. Of course, it also bring danger. Anyone can lose their life, especially when they''re going to the lower floors, but the temptation of riches outweighs the risks involved. "Handsome young master, there seems to be a group of people following behind us," Tifa said. "Mmm? Ignore them. We''ll lose them once we enter the dungeon." "Handsome young master, I recognize one of them. It was the adventurer that tried to attack you earlier," Milfa whispered. "Mmm? You''re right. Oh, F*ck, he brought a hundred men with him. Girls, let''s hurry and enter the dungeon!" Kei ordered. The three of them hastened their pace and entered the portal leading to the first floor of the dungeon. Not far away from them, a group of adventurers arrived at the portal leading to the entrance of the dungeon. "Wow! Those twins are gorgeous!" "Did you see their bodies? Damn so hot!" "Boss, I''m liking this job more and more!" "Shut up! We didn''t come here for a picnic!" Arnold said. He regretted bringing these horny rookies to help him finish this mission. "It would be best if we leave half of our men to guard the entrance," Nick suggested. "That way, even if they find a way to escape our pursuit our men would be waiting for them here. "Very well," Arnold agreed. "Let''s do that." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Half of you stay here, the rest will follow us inside the dungeon." Nick ordered. "Boss! Let me go inside the dungeon with you!" "Pick me boss! Pick me!" More than sixty adventurers volunteered to enter the dungeon with them. Arnold hollered, "Shut up! You bunch of horny brats!" He spent five minutes forming a fifty-man team to join the dungeon exploration. The rest encircled the only entrance and exit of the dungeon. ----------------------------------- Inside the first floor of the dungeon¡­ Kei handed the twins the "Special Masks" that he bought from the craft artisan shop. The masks has a special enchantment that will change the appearance and body structure of anyone who wears it. A high grade monster core is consumed to make the enchantment work, and the effect only lasts for ten hours. Kei tried to bargain with the shop owner, but the latter refused to lower the prices. With no other choice, he bought five masks for 5,000 gold. "Girls, let''s go with operation [Spicy Ginger]," Kei said. "Understood handsome young master!" the twins replied. The three took off their outer clothes and wore plain traveler clothes. They wore their masks and their transformation took place in less than a minute. The twins turned into old women with different facial features. Milfa had a crooked nose while Tifa had a big mole on her cheek. The two of them glanced at each other and giggled. Kei turned into an old man with average features. He did some basic stretches to get used to his new body. It didn''t take long before the three of them heard sounds of uniformed footsteps in the distance. Kei gave the twins a wink and the two nodded in acknowledgement. Kei howled, "Aiyo~ my back hurts!" "Dear! What happened to you?!" Milfa embraced him from behind and supported his body. "Darling! What''s wrong?!" Tifa said, looking distraught. The footsteps arrived at their location and the band of adventurers looked at the old folks with concern. "Excuse me seniors, what happened? Can we be of assistance?" Arnold asked. The years of being a good Samaritan was engraved in his bones. He had developed a habit of not turning a blind eye to people in need. "Ah, what a good child you are. We''re fine, my back pain is just acting up again," Kei replied. "Gramps, you shouldn''t go inside the dungeon at your age. It''s very dangerous here," Nick said. "Why don''t we escort you outside?" The adventurers all nodded at Nick''s suggestion. They looked at their seniors hoping that they would accept their captain''s goodwill. "Dear, we should listen to them. We''re not that young anymore," Milfa advised. "Our years of adventure is far behind us." "No! I gave you my word that we would spend our honeymoon on the 20th floor of this dungeon!" Kei howled. "I will not go back on my word!" "Darling, we could just go to a peaceful place to have our honeymoon. We don''t need to risk our lives here." Tifa argued. "Sister is right dear. We can make love under the moonlight and let the heavens witness our undying love for each other." Milfa said. Arnold and Nick almost spat blood at the same time. They can''t believe that the old man''s reason for going inside the dungeon is to spend a honeymoon with his wives. The two looked at each other in dismay. "But, there is a flower in the 20th floor called the [Flower of Passion]. It will give us the vitality to have twenty rounds of hot, steamy, and vigorous lovemaking. Are you sure you don''t want to experience that before we pass away? Kei lamented. "Dear!" "Darling!" "I know that this may sound far-fetched, but I''m hoping that the two of you can bear my children one more time." *HISSSSSSS* The fifty-man team sucked in deep breaths as they bear witness to the old man''s shameless declaration of love. "Hisss! The old ginger is still spicy!" "Damn! This old man''s libido is second to none!" "Fck! He dragged his wives inside the dungeon for a honeymoon? So hardcore!" "Such shamelessness! But, it''s romantic in it''s own way!" "Che! If I can only get a loyal wife, I''d die a happy man!" "Dungeon play is very common among adventurers, but this is the first time I''ve heard of old couples doing it!" "Bro! They even plan to do it on the 20th floor! That''s the 20th floor! That''s insane!" The adventurers have mixed feelings about the determination of the old couple in front of them. Nick and Arnold were touched by the old folks love for each other. "Bro!" Nick stared at Arnold with a look of pleading. "Say no more brother! I understand!" Arnold wiped a tear from his eye. He was touched by the display of affection by the seniors in front of him. Nick shouted, "Men! What say you?!" "For Honor! For Glory! The Harkon Brigade Will pave the path to Victory!" The adventurers roared. "Seniors, please allow the Harkon Brigade to escort you to the 20th floor!" Arnold said. "Huh?! No, it''s fine. We just need to take a little rest. You don''t have to trouble yourselves with old people like us." Kei replied. "Don''t worry Gramps we got your backs covered!" "Anything that stands in our way will be beaten to a pulp! You can leave the rest to us Grandpa!" "We will make sure that your honeymoon will be a success gramps!" "Yes! We''ll make sure that the two grandmas get pregnant!" Tifa and Milfa almost choked when they heard the adventurers'' cheerful encouragement. "No! You don''t have to do this! I feel better now! See?" Kei did some basic stretches in front of the adventurers. Nick roared, "Men! If our seniors lose even a single strand of hair in this expedition, all of you will undergo hellish training!" "Sir! Yes! SIR!" The adventurers replied in unison. The three "seniors" glanced at each other. Kei didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at their current situation. ''I got carried away in my acting again...'' Kei sighed and allowed the adventurers to escort them to the lower floors of the dungeon. 7 Alarming News The Harkon Brigade decided to help their seniors reach the 20th floor. They were touched by Grandpa Cloud''s undying will to get his two wives pregnant. "The entrance to the 4th floor is clear!" "All the mobs had been cleared out sir! "Very well, let''s proceed to the 5th floor," Arnold said. "Continue to be vigilant men!" The adventurers were very motivated. They made sure that their seniors are securely protected in the center of their formation. "Gramps are you tired? Do you want me to carry you?" "No child, I''m fine. Don''t worry about me." "Gramps, are you hungry? We have meat buns here. Do you want some?" "No child, I just ate. Thank you for the offer though." "Gramps, are you thirsty? We have fruit juice!" "No child, but I am very grateful for the offer." Kei refused for the umpteenth time. He was sweating buckets at the attention he is receiving from the adventurers. Some of them even brazenly asked him questions on how to seduce women. Tifa and Milfa giggled from the side. They find the scene in front of them very amusing. "Grandpa Cloud, we are about to enter the 5th floor of the dungeon. Please stay in the center of the formation, this area has minotaurs appearing from time to time." Nick cautioned. "Thank you young man. You and your guild are the role models of this generation." Kei replied. He was genuinely impressed by the sincerity and dedication of the Harkon Brigade. Right now, he is feeling guilty for hurting one of their members. Nick gave a sincere smile, "Don''t worry Grandpa Cloud. We''ll make sure that you and the grandma''s are safe." Nick entered the passageway to the 5th floor and the rest of the adventurers followed behind him. The 5th floor of the Dungeon is a typical labyrinth. The maze spans for six kilometers and various monsters like poison spores (poisonous mushroom monsters), Drainlairs (vampire bats), black spiders, and minotaurs spawn in this dungeon floor. The adventurers of Amaranth have memorized this floor from top to bottom. If there were no monsters present, they can easily clear it even with their eyes closed. "The scouts are clearing the path ahead. So far, we haven''t seen any minotaurs." Arnold greeted them. "Thanks for your hard work." Kei said. "The 3rd battalion also needed the training experience Grandpa Cloud. It''s a win-win for the both of us."Arnold replied. Kei smiled and nodded his head. He knew that it would be impolite to turn down their offer at this point, so he decided to let nature take its course. Their advance inside the labyrinth was smooth. This is the first time that Kei is witnessing a disciplined battalion in action. He was impressed by their teamwork The adventurers smoothly moved inside the labyrinth while the vanguard clear the monsters on the way. The rear guards are not being idle either. They are vigilant against sudden monster spawns behind their formation. One of the scouts shouted, "Drainlairs up ahead! Magicians prepare your spells!" "Mages, use Tiger Formation!" Arnold ordered. The vanguard joined the main battalion and activated their defense talismans. The mages, on the other hand, charged their spells and waited for the right moment to strike. Drainlairs like to attack in groups, and sometimes they attack in swarms. They are very resistant to physical attack, and only magic can deal heavy damage to their bodies. A swarm of Drainlairs descended upon the adventurers. Their screech echoing upon the whole labyrinth. They gazed at the adventurers with bloodshot eyes. "Open Fire!" Nick ordered. "Fire Bullet!" "Earth Bullet!" "Wind Blade!" "Water Ball!" The barrage of spells rained down on the Drainlairs. The mages of the Harkon Brigade had been rigorously trained by Arnold himself. The volley of spells didn''t stop, and the Drainlairs were dropping like flies. Kei was impressed by the firepower of their mage squad. He determined that the rank of the mages are not lower than B-Rank Mages. He watched as the Drainlairs get decimated right in front of his eyes. ''Mmm, not bad.'' Kei mused. "Collection Team, pick all the monster cores!" Arnold ordered. A team of adventurers deftly separated the monster cores from the dead Drainlairs. Drainlairs are C-Class monsters, and they drop C-Class monster cores. Monster cores below the B-Class are used as currency in some parts of the Kingdom. Nick commanded, "Scouts, resume your duties!" The scouts acknowledged the order and advanced forward. The vanguard followed closely behind them. It didn''t take long before they reached the passageway of the 6th floor of the dungeon. "Grandpa Cloud, the 6th floor of this dungeon is a safezone. We will rest for three hours, before we proceed in our expedition." Arnold said. "Sounds good." Kei replied. He learned a lot from this experience, and he can''t wait to use this information to train his own private army. The 6th floor of the Dungeon of Greed has a forest setting. No monsters spawn in this floor. Because of this feature, the three major guilds decided to transform this floor into their base of operations. There are inns, taverns, and even merchant shops on this floor. The adventurers of the Harkon Brigade headed straight to their guild residence on the western side of the forest. The adventurers standing guard on the residence saw their superior officer and gave a salute. "Open the Gates!" The giant gate creaked open, and the 3rd battalion entered while still in their battle formation. "Nick, please lead Grandpa Cloud and his wives to the guestroom." Arnold said. "Grandpa, Grandma''s, please follow me." Nick gestured for them to follow him. Kei and the twins nodded and followed behind him. One of the guards approached Arnold and whispered alarming news that they received from the other guilds a few hours ago. "Sir Arnold, the 6th floor had a Minotaur outbreak." The guard whispered in his ear. "The captains of the other guilds are calling for an emergency meeting in the "Hall of Pride." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. Arnold frowned as he heard the news. The Dungeon of Greed has fifty floors, and it is very rare for a monster outbreak to happen. When a monster outbreak occur, it means that the floor boss has left its boss room. It also means that the floor monsters suddenly acquired a leader that can command them like an army. "Very well, tell the members not to leave the residence until my return." Arnold said. "I will head toward the Hall of Pride and discuss this with the officers of the other guilds." "Sir, Yes Sir!" The guard saluted, and went back to his post. ''Such bad timing.'' Arnold sighed and walked out of the residence. He knew that this is a serious matter, and depending on the outcome of the meeting, they may have to postpone their dungeon expedition. 8 Evacuation Nick led Kei, Tifa, and Milfa to the guestroom of the Harkon Brigade on the 5th floor of the Dungeon of Greed. "Grandpa Cloud, please rest here for a while," Nick said. "I will come to fetch you later when we resume our dungeon expedition." "Thank you child. May the gods bless you and your guild." Kei replied. Nick smiled and left the three of them to rest. Kei waited for a few minutes to confirm that no one was around and glanced at the twins. Tifa and Milfa nodded their heads to assure him that the coast is clear. Kei scratched his head and sighed. "Any ideas how we can get out of this mess?" The twins glanced at each other and giggled. "Mmm? Did I say anything funny girls?" "Handsome young master, you say you want to get out of this mess, but you have a smile on your face." Tifa said. Milfa giggled and winked at him. "Handsome young master, If I''m not mistaken you want to see how this little play of yours end right?" "Was it that obvious?" Kei was unable to refute, because it was the truth. "Handsome young master, you always wear that smile when something interesting happens." Tifa said, chuckling. Kei scratched his head. He knew that he really can''t hide anything from his most trusted retainers. Since they understood his intention, he took out three high-grade monster cores from his storage bag. "The two of you, use these to recharge your masks. Let''s do it now while we have time to spare." ""As you command, handsome young master."" The high grade monster cores turned into particles of light as the mask consumed their mana. ''It took us five hours to get here with the help of the Harkon Brigade. I wonder how long will it take for our group to reach the 20th floor¡­'' Kei was a bit worried because he only has twelve high-grade monster cores in his storage bag. After recharging their masks, their party has roughly 15 hours remaining until their transformation wears off. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Handsome young master, why don''t you take a nap?" Milfa said. "I''ll wake you when they come to fetch us." "Mmm, that sounds like a good iea. Then please wake me when they arrive Milfa." Milfa gave him a respectful bow. "As you wish, my dear." Kei chuckled at her reply before going to the bedroom to rest. In truth, the dungeon expedition made him exhausted because the adventurers kept on pestering him with questions. Whenever the battalion takes a short break, they will come to him in swarms just to get some tips on how to woo women. ''Ai~ being handsome is a sin.'' This was the last thought that came to his mind before he closed his eyes to sleep. ---------------------------------- Meanwhile inside the Hall of Pride¡­ More than twenty people are inside the Hall of Pride, and they are all seated on a round table. They have grave expressions on their faces which signifies how dire the situation is. "The scouting team that we sent to check the situation had not returned. I''m afraid they had encountered the monster army." A man wearing red armor with the emblem of the wolf spoke with grievance. "I just arrived so I don''t know the full situation. When did this monster outbreak happen?" Arnold asked. "It happened two days ago." A man wearing a white robe answered. ''If the outbreak started two days ago then the floor boss has taken control of all the monster in the 7th floor by now.'' Arnold frowned when he heard the news. The man wearing red armor glanced at the white robed man and asked a question. "Ethan, did you manage to make a divination?" The man named Ethan sighed and shook his head. "Rayfield, Arnold, I''m afraid we have to consider evacuating our members out of this dungeon." "The situation is that critical?" Rayfield said, surprised. He didn''t doubt Ethan''s premonition, because among the core members of the Exodus Knights his intuition is second to none. "Yes, I feel that something beyond our control is about to descend from the sixth floor. Every fibre of my being is telling me to get away from this place as fast as I can." Ethan said while wiping his forehead. Everyone''s faces in the room turned grim. Ethan has a reputation for being accurate in his divination. Even the guildmasters of the Harkon Brigade and Terra Riders asks him to do a reading for them from time to time. Both of them attest to the accuracy of his prediction. Arnold stood up from his seat and glanced at his two acquaintances. "Let''s announce the evacuation. The Harkon Brigade will act as the rear guards. I will have to ask the two of you to make sure that the rest of the people on this floor reach the exit of the dungeon safely." "Arnold, the Terra Riders will also stay to protect the rear," Rayfield said. "Ethan, I will entrust the evacuees to the Exodus Knights." Arnold nodded his head. "Let us all meet up at the passageway leading to the 5th floor in two hours." "Take what you can and leave the rest behind." Ethan said. "We can''t afford to waste more time than this." The three captains nodded and left the Hall of Pride. They need to inform their members about the evacuation as soon as possible. ---------------------------------- Milfa shook Kei anxiously. "Handsome young master, please wake up. Something seems wrong." Kei opened his eyes and yawned. "Mmm? Is it dinner time?" "No," Milfa said. "Handsome young master, I can feel a sudden tension in the air." Kei''s expression turned serious. Milfa''s instincts are very accurate and it had saved his life many times in the past. "What do you feel right now?" "I feel like something ominous is coming." "Something ominous?" "Yes, as if¡­a heavy pressure is weighing down on my chest." Tifa appeared inside the bedroom. "Handsome young master, someone is coming." Nick opened the door in a hurry. His body language is showing how anxious he was. "Grandpa Cloud, we are evacuating the 6th floor. Please, join the others and head towards the passageway leading to the 5th floor." The serious expression on his face made the three of them realize that Milfa''s hunch is correct. "Understood, we will evacuate. What is your guild planning to do?" Kei said. "The Harkon Brigade and the Terra Riders will act as the rear guard. The Exodus Knights will lead everyone to exit the dungeon. Please follow their instructions Grandpa Cloud." Kei nodded and Nick escorted the three of them to the evacuation spot. He even assigned ten members of the brigade to ensure their safety. "Grandpa Cloud, Grandma''s, take care on the way back." "Thank you for everything you had done for us. You and Arnold better return safely. I plan to make the two of you the godfathers of my future children." Nick laughed and nodded his head. He was about to say something when the sound of horns being blown was heard in the distance. "I have to go. Men, make sure to protect our seniors!" ""Sir, Yes Sir!"" Nick ran towards the assembly point of the rear guards. The tense atmosphere gripped the people on the evacuation site. "Everyone, my name is Ethan! I am the captain of the Exodus Knights. I am tasked with leading each and everyone of you to reach the exit of the dungeon safely." Ethan said. "Make sure to follow my orders!" Suddenly, sounds of spells being unleashed was heard. It is coming from direction of the passageway leading to the 7th floor. Ethan waved his hand and the vanguard of the Exodus Knights entered the passageway leading to the 5th floor. "The Harkon Brigade and the Terra Riders are acting as our rear guards. Make sure that their sacrifices will not be in vain! Everyone follow me!" Ethan entered the passageway. The rest followed in an orderly manner. The Exodus Knights has spread out and protected the evacuees in the center of their formation. Kei looked at the direction where the battle was taking place one last time before entering the passageway. ''Don''t die Arnold, Nick.'' 9 Monster Varian Rayfield shouted, "Men, hold your ground! Don''t give them time to regroup!" He dashed toward a minotaur cutting off its head with a single slash of his broadsword. "Transmute!" Arnold said, slamming his hand toward the ground. Earth spikes appeared and impaled three minotaurs at the same time. The two leaders gave each other a glance. They knew what the floor boss were thinking. The boss is sending cannon fodders to tire them out while saving the strength of his elite army. Rayfield spat on the ground, "Tch, what a smart-ass." "I hate it when Ethan''s prediction is spot on." Arnold said. The members of the Harkon Brigade and the Terra Riders were fighting courageously against the horde of minotaurs. Their teamwork allowed them to confront the first wave of monsters with ease. Nick led the elites of the Harkon Brigade and headed toward the minotaur captain at the back of the monster army. Nick roared, "Everyone use [True Men Formation!]" The Elites of the the Harkon Brigade spread out in a straight line and hacked everything in their path. The Minotaur captain raised his giant axe. The Elite minotaurs that were guarding him stepped forward to stop the advance of Nick''s party. Nick took the lead, "[Use Striking Arrow Formation!]". Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. The adventurers formed an arrowhead with Nick at the tip. The front-runners blocked the attack of the Elite Minotaurs, while the other members advanced ahead. Nick lunged at the minotaur captain, "You''re Mine!" The minotaur captain snorted. There were a hint of mockery on its monstrous face as if telling him that all his efforts were futile. Men and minotaur clashed. Nick were pushed back due to the difference in strength. The minotaur captain didn''t waste the opportunity and unleashed furious blows meant to cut him in half. Nick side stepped and dodged the repeated assault of the minotaur captain. He knew that he won''t win in a contest of strength so he decided to wait for an opportunity. Finally an opening appeared. Nick stabbed with everything he had towards the chest of his adversary. "Chink!" The sound of his sword bouncing off the minotaurs chest brought Nick back to his senses. He barely dodged the swing of the Minotaur Captain by rolling to the side. Nick cursed at the monster, "F*cking variant!" [A monster variant is a monster that is stronger than the monsters of its own kind. Some of them have unique skills that gives them an edge from the rest] He backed away to put distance between the two of them. The minotaur stood still and snorted at him. The disdain in its eyes were evident. ''This monster probably has the skill [Steel Body] or [Physical Deflection], this is bad.'' Nick were contemplating his next move when a loud shout were heard behind him. "Nick! Lie on the ground!" Nick recognized the owner of the voice, and immediately lied down on the ground. A barrage of spells soared over his back and hit the minotaur captain in front of him. The minotaur were blown away and slammed to the wall of the dungeon. "Are you alright?"Arnold said. Nick stood up and brushed the dirt on his leather armor, "I''m fine." The two of them glanced at the minotaur captain and were surprised to see that it were still alive. The minotaur captain stood up slowly. Its eyes turned blood red and it released a blood curling roar. Arnold felt something were off and immediately grabbed Nick. He dragged him toward the center of their formation. The minotaur captain glared at the two of them while the injuries in its body regenerated at an alarming rate. "I was wrong in my assumptions. That variant has [Greater Elemental and Physical Resistance]," Nick said. Arnold scoffed from the side, "You forgot [Greater Regeneration]" "Why did you drag me back?" "Because sh*t is about to happen." A man wearing red armor appeared beside the two of them. Rayfield, the Captain of the Terra Riders had a worried look on his face. "Arnold, did you feel it too?" "Yes, powerful presences are ascending from the lower floors." Nick gulped, "Don''t tell me¡­" "That monster variant is just a captain of their main force, but that is the least of our worries," Rayfield said. Rayfield, and Arnold froze for a moment. The two of them glanced at each other and their faces turned grim. Rayfield shouted, "Retreat!" "Men fall back to the fifth floor!" Arnold said. "We need to get out of here now!" The members of the Harkon Brigade and Terra Riders didn''t question the order of their captains. They entered the passageway leading to the fifth floor while keeping their battle formations. "Nick, you go to the front and act as vanguard," Rayfield said. "Arnold and I will cover the rear." Nick nodded his head, "Understood." The two captains spoke in low voices to prevent others from listening to their conversation. "Arnold, how many strong presences did you sense?" "It was only brief, but I managed to feel at least six of them." "This is a disaster." Arnold wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, "If we can get back to the surface and rally our guilds, then we will stand a chance. But¡­" "But, if this is a full dungeon outbreak with all the boss of the lower floors rallying their monster army¡­" Rayfield said, frowning. "Then the city of Amaranth will cease to exist," Arnold said. The two of them decided not to tell anyone about their conclusion. They were afraid that the news will be too much for their men to handle, and cause mass panic and hysteria. They can only pray that they will be able to reach the exit of the dungeon, and send the news to their guildmasters before it''s too late. 10 Reaching the Surface "[Blast!]" Ethan conjured a spell towards a swarm of black spiders coming their way. A powerful explosion shook the dungeon and the spiders were burned to a crisp. The evacuation were going smoothly and they were near the exit the fifth floor of the dungeon, but the pressure that was pressing down on him were getting stronger. ''Don''t tell me this is a full dungeon outbreak. If it is¡­'' Ethan wiped the sweat on his forehead. He has to remain calm in order to lead everyone to the surface. One of the scouts sent him a report using telepathy, "Sir, the monsters had been cleared. The passage to the 4th floor is secured." "Very well," Ethan said. "Secure the perimeter and wait for our arrival." "Yes, Sir!" The scout replied. Ethan made a gesture and the vanguard marched forward to enter the fourth floor. The evacuees were not far behind. Ethan stayed until only the rearguard remained. He gave the fifth floor one last glance before heading towards the fourth floor with the rest of his men. ------------------ Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. A minotaur''s head flew in the air as Nick brandished his sword. The battle had been going on for half an hour and he is nearing his limits. He glanced at Arnold and Rayfield who was currently battling the Variant Minotaur. He was just in time to see the head of the Minotaur Variant getting pummeled by Arnold''s 4th level spell [Gilgamesh]. It was a spell that summons a storm of homing stone bolts. For Arnold to use this spell, it means that he was forced to take drastic measures. The powerful barrage broke the Minotaur Variant''s defenses and smashed its head like a watermelon. After making sure that the the monster is really dead, Arnold and Rayfield approached the body to collect the monster core. Arnold took out the monster core from the Variant''s body. Variant cores were highly sought by mages because of their special properties. When these cores were used by expert craftsmen like dwarves or giants, they can make enchanted weapons and equipment that have additional effects. Rayfield had a complicated look on his face as he watched Arnold retrieve the monster core, "That''s one tough variant." Arnold surveyed the battlefield. The monster horde were finally defeated. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing that they didn''t suffer any casualties. There were people who were seriously injured, but their guild members manage to save them in the nick of time. "Sir, more than thirty people had suffered heavy injuries, fifty people with minor injuries." The captain of the support team gave his report. Arnold nodded his head, "Thank you, please resume your duties." "Yes Sir!" The officer left and returned to tending the wounded. "More than a quarter of our combined forces suffered injuries." Rayfield said, sighing. Arnold made some hand seals and used the spell [Impasse] on the passageway leading to the 6th floor of the dungeon. The spell Created a gigantic, near-impassable wall of indescribably hard rock. Maintaining the spell for a long time will drain him of his mana, so he decided to use some high quality monster core as substitute to maintain it. He also added a defensive talisman on the earth wall to reinforce it''s toughness. "It won''t be long before the second wave arrive." Arnold looked at the members of the Harkon Brigade and the Terra Riders. He can see the exhaustion on their faces, and knew that they were nearing their limit. "This wall of earth, won''t hold them for long," Arnold said. "Our new mission is to reach the surface and warn the city of Amaranth of this disaster." Rayfield stepped forward and glared at them, "Until then, none of you bastards are allowed to die. Do I make myself clear?" "Sir, Yes Sir!" All the adventurers replied in Unison. "Let''s go," Arnold said. The Harkon Brigade and the Terra Riders hastened their pace. They all knew that it is just a matter of time before the second wave of monsters break through the Earthen walls behind them. ------------------ Ethan and the Exodus Knights have arrived at the second floor. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief because they are a step closer to the surface. Ethan, on the other hand, was shivering from time to time. The powerful presences he felt coming from the lower floors are giving him goosebumps. "Hasten the march! We need to hasten the march!" Ethan said to his Vice Captain. "Sir, we are already going as fast as we can." "It''s not enough, we need to reach the surface before it''s too late!" The vice captain was shaken by Ethan''s attitude. His captain had always been a calm and charismatic person. This is the first time he saw him this agitated. He realized how serious the situation was, so he followed his orders immediately. "Vanguards, join the scouts," He ordered. "Make haste, kill all the monsters that block our way as fast as you can!" The ground suddenly shook after he gave his order. A horde of Kobolds appeared out of nowhere and their numbers were over five hundred. A Kobold Leader was leading them, which means that his initial assessment of a dungeon outbreak is true. All of the Kobolds were brandishing small knives and hell bent to slaughter everyone on their path. Ethan threw four magic scrolls in the air, "Sharp as as knife, swift as the wind, let the fury of the elements fall upon the unworthy! [Summon Wind Elemental!]" Four Wind Elementals appeared and unleashed a barrage of spells to the Kobold Army. Magic scrolls are very expensive, and it is not something to be used casually. The four scrolls Ethan used were his trump cards. The Wind Elementals will only last for half an hour after they are summoned, but he knew that he can''t waste anymore time in dealing with the Kobold Army. Howls of pain, agony, and death descended the Kobolds. The few stragglers were taken care of by the adventurers. Ethan personally dealt the killing blow to the Kobold Leader with his [Blaze] spell. The fight only lasted for a few minutes, but Ethan didn''t give the order to pick up monster cores. Instead, he ordered everyone to increase their pace. He commanded the Air Elementals to act as vanguards and destroy everything that stood in their way. ------------------ The Exodus Knights with the help of the Air Elementals managed to clear out the monsters on the second floor of the dungeon with ease. They breezed through the first floor and finally returned to the surface. The members of the Harkon Brigade that were standing guard on the entrance of the dungeon were surprised when the Wind Elementals appeared. They unsheathed their weapons and raised their guard. Fortunately, Ethan came out not long after and explained the situation to them. "Tell all the guilds that a full dungeon outbreak is upon us! Tell the Mayor to evacuate the citizens to a safe place!" Ethan almost roared while giving his orders to his men. He didn''t wait for their reaction and immediately used another scroll to teleport to their guild headquarters. The news need to reach the Duke immediately, and only the guild leaders of the Three Major Guilds can contact him personally. The evacuees panicked when they heard the news. They ran towards the city shouting "Dungeon Outbreak!" in order to warn the populace of the upcoming threat. "Grandpa Cloud, we need to return to the guild to inform our guildmaster. Please evacuate the city as soon as you can," The leader of the escorts gave Kei a brief bow before running with his men towards the Harkon Brigade Main Headquarters. Kei and the twins watched them go. The entrance of the dungeon is now void of people except for the three of them. "Handsome young master, your orders?" Tifa asked. Kei closed his eyes and pondered a bit. The twins waited patiently by his side. They knew that their young master is weighing the pros and cons of helping the city of Amaranth. However, the two of them believe that even though it will put their young master at a disadvantage, he will not turn a blind eye and watch the citizens of Amaranth perish before his eyes. Kei sighed and took off his mask, "Are you girls interested on a honeymoon at the 20th floor of this dungeon?" "I''d love to!" Milfa said in a heartbeat while taking off her mask. "No," Tifa smiled and took off her mask as well. With their masks gone, the three of them returned to their original appearance. Kei smiled and took out a hair brush. He brushed his hair, brushed his thick eyebrows, and applied lipgloss on his lips. When everything was done, he faced the entrance of the dungeon. "Let''s go girls," Kei said. "We''re going to gatecrash this party." ""As you command, Handsome young master!"" 11 Have no fear, your Daddy Kei is here! Ethan appeared at their headquarters and immediately rushed to the Guildmaster''s quarters. "Sir! We have an emergency!" Ethan said almost knocking the the door off its hinges. The guildmaster of the Exodus Knights, Jeff Wilson, was busy writing a letter to one of his acquaintances when Ethan came barging in. He looked at his Vice Guild Master and immediately understood that something was terribly wrong. He decided to cut to the chase, and asked the most important question first. "What happened?" "A full dungeon outbreak is upon us!" "Crack," The pen in Jeff''s hand snapped into two as he listened to Ethan''s reply. "Ethan, are you sure about this?" "Sir, I am willing to put my position and life on the line," Ethan said. "Please, contact the Duke, time is of the essence!" Jeff didn''t waste any more time and retrieved a small box from his drawer. He tapped it twice and the box started to transform. [Commencing Identification¡­] A beam of light scanned Jeff''s eye pupils. [Identification Confirmed¡­] [Guildmaster of Exodus Knights: Jeff Wilson] [Special Privilege Activated] [Long Distance Communication Commencing¡­] ----------------------- Capital of Windsor Serenis¡­ The Duke of Windsor, Thormund Windsor, was standing in front of a communication crystal in his office. An emergency communication was established from the city of Amaranth and it came from the guildmaster of the Exodus Knights. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. He was about to accept the call when two more notifications from Amaranth arrived. Thormund waved his hand to activate the [Conference] feature to better understand the situation. The faces of the three Guild Masters appeared before him. All three of them had grave faces which made Thormund frown. ''Something big must have happened in Amaranth.'' "My Lord, a full dungeon outbreak is about to fall upon Amaranth," Jeff said, anxiously. Jack Megan, the Guild Master of the Harkon Brigade sighed, "Please, send the Army of Windsor to help contain the outbreak." A beautiful woman in her late thirties gazed at the Duke. She was the guildmaster of the Terra Riders, Sarah Haven. She had a reputation for being a fearless woman in the battlefield. "We will hold the outbreak for as long as we can in order to give the citizens time to evacuate," Sarah said. "Make sure to send reinforcements as fast as you can." Thormund almost didn''t believe what he heard. If not for the fact that all three of the top Guild Masters in Amaranth were telling him that a full dungeon outbreak was about to happen in his Dukedom, he would never believe it. "Try to hold for as long as you can," Thormund said. "I will send the army at once!" The three Guild Masters nodded and cut off the connection. Thormund activated another communication crystal. It was a crystal that allowed him to communicate to all the cities within this Dukedom. "Citizens of Windsor, today I greet you with grave news. The Dungeon of Greed in the city of Amaranth is about to unleash a full dungeon outbreak." He paused for a few seconds to allow the citizens to digest the news. "I am calling for all the Mayors in each city to send reinforcements and assist in protecting Amaranth from this disaster," Thormund said. "The Army of Windsor will be dispatched, but it will take some time before they arrive at the city of Amaranth." The citizens of the Dukedom listened to their Duke, and waited for his next words. "Until then, pray to the Gods to bestow their mercy upon the citizens of Amaranth." Thormund cut the communication and immediately had an emergency meeting with the general of his army. Orders were issued and more than half of the army was mobilized. They started their march in haste and headed towards the city of Amaranth. Thormund and the General both agreed that an Elite Squad should be dispatched ahead of time. Their mission was to assist the guilds in confronting the monster army that would soon appear from the Dungeon. Thormund decided to personally take command, and gathered the Elites of the army. They used teleport scrolls in order to reach the city as soon as they could. Even so, they would only arrive at City Amaranth after two hours. ----------------------- Sounds of weapons clashing against each other echoed on the third floor of the Dungeon of Greed. It didn''t take long for the monster army to break through the Earthen Wall that Arnold used to block the exit of the fifth floor. The monster horde rushed to the lower floors and caught up with them on the third floor. All the able bodied adventures blocked their advance, while the injured ones continued their escape to reach the surface. "Retreat!" Nick ordered. "Bring the injured to the surface!" Nick was taking deep breaths as he forced himself to stand his ground. He couldn''t even lift his left hand due to exhaustion, and he was barely able to fight using his right. Rayfield and Arnold were not far away from him and keeping the strong monsters at bay with a barrage of spells and sword skills. [Gilgamesh!] A barrage of homing stone bolts pelted the advancing monsters and obliterated them. Arnold was close to his limit and he could already feel the side effects of mana exhaustion. He clenched his teeth and gulped another mana potion. This was his last mana bottle, and at most he could only cast two more third tier spell, or one fourth tier spell. [Air Time!] Rayfield used his signature move and wrecked havoc to the battlefield. [Air Time] allowed him to freely fly and move five times faster than normal. It was his ultimate move and a Master Swordsman with this ability was a terrifying enemy to meet on the battlefield. Unfortunately, this ability only lasted for ten minutes and he wouldn''t be able to use it again for an hour. He hacked all the monsters in front of him and kept them at bay. The monsters hissed at him, but didn''t continue their advance. Nick, Arnold, Rayfield, as well as a dozen adventurers who decided to hold the line glared at the monster army in front of them. "Do you think Ethan reached the surface?" Nick asked. Arnold coughed and massaged his chest, "You don''t have to worry about him. He knows what he needs to do." "I''m sure that all the guilds have been informed by now," Rayfield replied. "They''re probably making a defensive line at this very moment." Nick laughed, "I guess, this is where we make our last stand huh?" Arnold and Rayfield simply chuckled. They knew that there was no hope for them to escape their fate. The other adventurers also laughed in the face of eminent death. They planned to take as many of these bastards to hell with them. The two parties were raring to clash with each other when a screech was heard behind the monster army. A giant winged serpent appeared from behind the dungeon monsters. It was like a crossbreed between a Serpent and a Dragon. The adventurers subconsciously stepped back the moment they saw it. "Bakunawa, the boss of the 20th floor of the Dungeon," Nick cursed. "Fck¡­" Arnold made hand seals and charged his final spell [Last Stand]. Rayfield brandished his sword and readied his sword skill [Man and Sword]. The Bakunawa snorted and was about to command the monster army to advance when it stopped in its tracks. Its pupils narrowed at a spot a hundred meters away from the adventurers. The adventurers were surprised by the sudden action of the Dungeon Boss. They also turned their heads in the direction the boss was looking. They saw a man with black hair, thick eyebrows, and thick lips in a pose that would want to make anyone, even monsters, spit at him in disgust. "Have no fear, for I your daddy Kei, the handsome young master is here!" 12 Dungeon Rescue "It''s you!" Nick said, surprise written all over his face. Arnold glanced at Nick, "Is he the one you were talking about?" Nick nodded and glared at Kei. He still held a grudge about the incident that happened back at the tavern. Rayfield appraised the newcomer, "Who are you?" Kei changed his pose while flipping his hair, "To protect the world from monster infestation!" He spun around, took another cool pose, and pointed at the ceiling. "To unite all people in the Eastern Federation." He winked at the adventurers and the monster army which annoyed the hell out of them, "To denounce the evils of handsomeness and love." He paused for a bit and blew them a flying kiss. "To extend my reach to the Goddesses above." Kei said, posing one more time. Arnold wasn''t able to take it any longer and roared, "Enough you bastard! What will you do if we get copyright issues?!" "You idiot! What will you do if the readers think of this as a fanfic?!" Rayfield said, anxiously. Kei raised his chin and walked arrogantly towards the adventurers. He paid them no heed and stood at the front lines. He looked at the Bakunawa and snorted in disdain. "You''re just an overgrown snake with wings," Kei said. "Do you really think you''re scary?" The boss of the 20th floor screeched at him. The Bakunawa had enough of this farce and commanded the monster army to attack. The dungeon monsters shouted their war cries and charged forward. "Water that flows unabated, let your power unleash upon the hated," Tifa said, opening her palm facing the monster army. Milfa imitated her gesture, "Let the torrential waves roar in fervor, let them know the meaning of true terror!" The two of them shouted in unison, [Maelstorm!] ---------------- [Maelstrom] ¨C Engulfs a large area in a violent torrent of water that drags all units to the center and inflicts stun, stagger, disorient, silence and extinguishes all fire. Deals damage per second. Lasts 30 seconds. ---------------- Kei turned his back at the struggling monster army behind him and faced the adventurers. He gave them an arrogant smile and made another irritating pose. "What are you all waiting for?" Kei asked. "RUN!" Kei didn''t wait for their reply and immediately ran towards the passageway leading to the second floor of the dungeon. The adventurers gawked for a few seconds and immediately ran after him. "Fck! Oi! Wait for us!" "Damn! To think I was moved by how cool he was a minute ago!" "Shameless! Acting like a hero and leaving us behind!" "Don''t let me catch you!" The adventurers cursed Kei, but they didn''t stop running. They were prepared to die just a few minutes ago, but now they were using their remaining strength to escape. The monster army behind them was stranded because of the Maelstorm and some of them perished due to the power of the spell. "Tifa, Milfa are you ready?" ""Ready!"" The twins began to chant an ancient spell and the magic enveloped all the people that were running for their lives. "Glide like there''s no tomorrow, leave behind all the pain and sorrow." "Give us the power of flight, aid us in our current plight!" [Zephyr!] ------------------------- -Bloodline special ability ¨C Grants additional 200% movement speed to all targets and allows flight for 5 minutes ------------------------- Kei jumped and flew in the air. The adventurers imitated him and everyone flew towards the passageway leading to the second floor. "Such a strong bloodline ability," Arnold said. Rayfield breathed a sigh of relief, "It looks like we''re not dying inside this dungeon today." "Dying outside is better?" Nick wiped the sweat on his forehead. While he wouldn''t admit it, he still held the hope that he would be able to survive this calamity. The effect of the Maelstorm faded, but the monster army was still paralyzed by the status effects of the spell. Only the strong monsters were able to recover quickly and run after the fleeing adventurers. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" The Bakunawa roared in anger. It couldn''t believe that a bunch of small fries managed to escape under its watch. It flew after the adventurers with a vengeance. It was hell bent to rip Kei and his party to shreds. With the help of the spell, the adventurers were able to reach the passage towards the first floor with ease. The roars of the Bakunawa could be heard behind them, but they knew that it will not be able to overtake them. They looked at their saviors who were flying in front of them, and remembered their faces. A debt of life must be repaid no matter what. This is one of the unspoken rules of being an adventurer. Even Nick who held a deep grudge against Kei decided to forget his grievances. Arnold and Rayfield looked at Kei''s party with admiration. Not everyone will be willing to put their lives on the line to save strangers. "Plea--Please¡­Sa-save m-me¡­" "Mmm? Did you say something Tifa?" Kei asked Tifa who was flying beside him. "No, handsome young master." Kei looked at Milfa, and she shook her head. Kei scratched his cheek in confusion, he thought he was just hearing things when he heard the voice again. "I-It hurts¡­H-Help. Ple-Please, Help¡­" Kei frowned, he definitely heard the voice of a young girl asking for help. He could vaguely tell that she was in pain, but he couldn''t find the source of the voice. ''Grandma Sophie¡­'' The ring on Kei''s finger vibrated and the voice of an old woman spoke directly in his mind. {Speak no more child, you''re not imagining things.} ''Where is that voice coming from Grandma?'' There was a short pause before the old voice spoke once again. {That is the voice of the Dungeon Core,} the old voice said. {A dungeon core that had been corrupted¡­} 13 Keis Dilemma ''A corrupted Dungeon Core?'' Kei frowned as he listened to Grandma Sophie''s explanation. The sad and pitiful voice that was asking for help was still fresh in his mind. {I know what you''re thinking, but it''s too late,} Grandma Sophie said. {For now, focus your attention on escaping the dungeon.} The pleading voice spoke again and Kei clenched his fist in frustration. He knew that grandma Sophie was right, but the voice filled with suffering and pain was so heartbreaking that he had the urge to turn back and look for the dungeon core. As if understanding his thoughts the ring on his hand vibrated. Grandma Sophie sighed, {Child, there are things that you can change, and things that you can''t.} ''I understand Grandma Sophie.'' It didn''t take long before the adventurers reached the exit of the dungeon. They flew towards the portal and appeared at the surface. What they saw outside gave them hope. A defensive line by all the guilds of Amaranth could be seen from in front of the city wall. The guild masters were surprised to see more survivors escape from the dungeon. Jack, the guildmaster of the Harkon Brigade was overjoyed to see that Nick and Arnold were safe. Kei and the adventurers landed on the city walls. The effect of the spell [Zephyr] wore off the moment they landed. "Nick! Arnold!" Jack hugged the two of them with unrestrained joy. Kei smiled at the touching reunion and glanced at the two other guildmasters of Amaranth. The two of them were looking at him with admiration. He thought that they were just overwhelmed by how handsome he was, and decided to turn a blind eye to their respectful gazes. Kei looked at Jack and made an inquiry, "Did you inform the Duke?" "Yes, the army of Windsor is on it''s way." "Mmm, that''s good." Kei scanned the members of the different guilds of Amaranth and frowned. He didn''t need to be a genius to know that this line-up would not be able to hold the monsters at bay for long. Jack saw the concern on his face and sighed, "I wish that we could have met each other at a much earlier time, handsome young master of Ravencourt." "Oh, you know of me?" "Of course, your fame spreads far and wide in the Eastern Federation." Nick and Arnold were dumbfounded at this sudden discovery. They glanced at each other and shook their heads helplessly. To think that their target was the famed ''handsome young master'' of Ravencourt. Even if they had thousands of men in their battalion, they wouldn''t dare touch a single strand of hair on his body. Capture one of the Overlords of the Federation? Couldn''t you choose a less painful way to die? This was the thought that was going through their heads as they looked at the famous young master of Ravencourt. Noticing that the two were staring at him, Kei smiled and gave them a wink. Nick and Arnold smiled like two idiots that had just received a pardon from the Gods. Arnold glared at Nick as if saying ''You bastard, just wait until all of this is over, and I promise not to skin you alive!'' Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. Nick returned his glare with an innocent look as if saying "Bro, don''t look at me like that ah! I didn''t know ah! I was not informed ah!'' "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" The loud screech of the Bakunawa coming from the dungeon snapped everyone to attention. The magicians began to chant their spells in preparation for the battle. The guildmasters returned to their posts and gave out orders. Everyone was looking at the entrance of the dungeon with bated breath. "Handsome young master, your orders?" Tifa stood on his left side, and Milfa positioned herself at his right. The two of them waited for their master''s order. "We will stay here and help hold the line until the army of Windsor arrives," Kei said. The guildmasters of the different guilds were paying close attention to him. When they heard his words, they felt excited. Fighting side by side with one of the Overlords of the Federation was a very rare opportunity. They became more motivated and decided to give their best in order to give him a lasting impression. Kei arrogantly raised his head to look at the sky. The adventurers were mesmerized by how cool he looked. "Damn, that is his signature looking down at his enemy pose." "To be able to see one of the Overlords in action! I have no regrets even if I die!" "If only he didn''t look like a goblin, I wouldn''t mind becoming his girlfriend!" "Che! With your looks? Dream on!" "I now understand why he has two gorgeous twins by his side. Damn! I''m so jealous!" "That arrogant look, that arrogant pose! Too arrogant! Too awesome!" The adventurers looked at his pose with admiration while Kei was having a serious dilemma. ''I need to take a dump, but I can''t leave now¡­'' Sweat was forming on his forehead as the feeling of release crept closer by the second. He maintained his intimidating pose and gently caressed the ring on his right hand with his thumb. {Just take a dump, why are you holding it in?} Grandma Sophie said, anxiously. {Make sure not to use your right hand when wiping it do you understand?} ''Grandma, can''t you think of something? People are looking at me right now, I need to act cool!'' {You bastard! Just find a place and get it over with!} ''Grandma, I can''t move,'' Kei was sweating buckets. ''If I move now¡­it will come out.'' Grandma Sophie didn''t know whether to laugh or cry the moment she heard his reply. She thought hard, but no solution came to mind. {Can''t you just¡­do it while standing up?} ''.¡­'' While the two of them were arguing the Bakunawa and the dungeon monsters finally made their appearance. They roared and shouted their war cries towards the adventurers. More powerful presences appeared as the other dungeon bosses made their way outside the portal. "Hmmp! No matter how many of you appear, as long as handsome young master is here we have nothing to fear!" A middle-aged man shouted at the monsters. "That''s right!" "Come here you big snake! This daddy will hack you to pieces!" "Fight! Fight!" Kei wasn''t paying attention to his surroundings because he was busy keeping the call of nature at bay while arguing with Grandma Sophie. {Aiyo! I have a great idea!} ''Really?! You''re a life saver grandma. Please tell me, hurry!'' {This is what you need to do¡­.} 14 Grandma Sophies Suggestion "Grandma¡­" Kei almost choked as he heard Grandma Sophie''s idea. {Hmmp! If you have any better ideas then go ahead!} Kei thought long and hard. He weighed the pros and cons of other options, but Grandma Sophie''s idea was the best among the rest. He clenched his teeth while thinking of other ideas. The battle was raging as the adventurers on the city walls bombarded the monster army with spells, arrows, and other projectiles. The Bakunawa was being forced back by the combined efforts of the top three guild masters of Amaranth. "Don''t let them climb the walls!" Jack said while casting fireballs left and right. "Kill them all!" A mage that had been tasked to monitor the entrance of the dungeon shouted, "Sir the floor boss of the 30th floor, ''Dark Snake Lord'' has appeared!" The nine meter tall dungeon boss hissed at the city and conjured shadow serpents to join the battle. These serpents were fast and able to dodge magic spells with ease. They crawled the wall effortlessly and unleashed chaos on the adventurers guarding it. Sarah, the Guildmaster of the Terra Riders, managed to cut a few of them down. She was using an upgraded version of [Air Time] that allowed her to freely fly and move ten times faster than normal. This effect lasts for half an hour, but the downside was that she wouldn''t be able to use it again for five hours after the spell ended. Jeff Wilson, the Guildmaster of the Exodus Knights sighed in frustration, "Ethan, I hate it when you''re right." "Sir, there are times when I hate myselffor being right," Ethan said while blasting a Shadow Snake from the city wall with a spell. ------------------------------- "Tifa, Milfa listen to me," Kei said. "I need your help." "What is it young master?" Tifa replied. Milfa waited patiently by his side. "I need the two of you to catapult me towards the Bakunawa using a spell." "As you comm¡­huh?" Tifa was dumbfounded by her master''s unreasonable command. "Can you please repeat your order, handsome young master?" Milfa asked, anxiously. "Mmm, I want the two of you to use a spell to catapult me towards the Bakunawa," Kei said. "I want to fight it one on one." The twins shivered at the same time. This was not the first time their young master ordered them to do something crazy, but fighting a dungeon boss alone? They glanced at each other with worry. "Relax girls, don''t you trust me? I promise I''ll be safe." "Handsome young master, this¡­are you sure?" "Please reconsider, handsome young master." Kei smiled at the two of them to ease their worries. "Fine, I''ll compromise," Kei said. "Cast [Zephyr] on me." The twins anxiously looked at each other. They nodded their heads and chose to believe their young master. ''Please hurry girls, I don''t know how long I can hold it in¡­'' Grandma Sophie chuckled, {Aigoo~ this is funny!} Tifa started to chant, "Glide like there''s no tomorrow, leave behind all the pain and sorrow." ''Yes, I want to leave the pain and sorrow behind¡­please hurry!'' Milfa finished the spell and pointed at Kei. "Give him the power of flight, aid him in his current plight!" {Your plight! Hahahahaha! Very funny!} [Zephyr!] Kei felt his body became lighter. He didn''t wait for a moment longer and flew towards the Bakunawa. The adventurers gasped at his action. They watched as he dodged the other flying monsters and fearlessly headed towards the Bakunawa alone. "So fearless! As expected of one of the Overlords!" "Maybe this battle was too boring for him, so he decided to single-handedly fight the boss monster?" "Too badass!" "Did you see the expression on his face? It was like he was constipated or something¡­" A young adventurer voiced out his opinion. "Bah! What do you know?! He uses that expression when he feels pity towards his enemies!" "Really? It doesn''t look that way to me¡­it''s more like he wants to take a dump." "Hmmp! That''s the reason why you''re still a Rank D Adventurer! You don''t understand Awesomeness!" "Uh¡­maybe you''re right." "Yeah! Just survive this battle and learn newbie!" The adventurers watched in admiration except for the young Rank D Adventurer. His name was Alexander, an orphan who wanted to be an adventurer. He was being sponsored by the Harkon Brigade because of his talent in magic. Kei flew and zoomed in on the Bakunawa. The boss monster recognized the one who is approaching him and roared in fury. It flapped its wings in a frenzy, it couldn''t wait to vent its frustrations on him. The Boss and one of the Overlords was about to collide in mid-air. All the adventurers, even the monsters paused to see the result of their collision. The Bakunawa opened its mouth with the intention of ripping Kei to shreds. Kei waited for the right moment and exponentially increased his speed, catching the Boss in surprise. Instead of ripping him to shreds with his teeth, the Bakunawa unintentionally swallowed him whole. The adventurers had a look of disbelief on their faces as they watched their idol get eaten in front of their eyes. The Bakunawa recovered from its surprise and looked at the adventurers mockingly. The mirth in its eyes couldn''t be hidden by its monstrous appearance. ----------------- Meanwhile inside the Bakunawa... Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Hah! Stupid snake! You think you can outsmart this handsome young master!" Kei said, chuckling. "You are a hundred years too early!" Kei was stuck in the throat of the Bakunawa using hooks that his best friend, Little John, had made for him. He secured himself in place and decided to finish his mission. "PURURURURURUT!" He shivered in ecstasy after the long awaited release. He never thought that the feeling of doing a ''number two'' inside a boss monster would feel this good. He was not in a rush to finish his mission. His only thought right now was to properly empty his bowels. The Bakunawa was still mocking the adventurers when it felt a burning sensation in its throat. It tried to ignore it, but for some reason its instinct was telling him that something disgusting was happening inside him. It''s strong sense of taste and smell identified the source of its worries. The boss monster''s face turned blue then green from the discovery. If it could imitate human speech, only one word would be coming out of its lips at the moment and that word would be¡­ "Sh*t!" 15 Exceed Break Activate! The Bakunawa began to squirm in the air. Its erratic movement was similar to an earthworm that was sprinkled with salt. The adventurers roared in glee as they saw the monster trying to claw its throat in agony. "See?! I always believed in the handsome young master!" "That arrogant snake thought that he already won! What an idiot!" "As expected of one of the Overlords! He planned on destroying that monster boss from within!" "So Awesome! So Cool!" ''I think that he''s just taking a dump inside the monster''s throat¡­'' Alexander scratched his head. He knew that if he voiced out his opinion the other adventurers would just scoff at him. So he decided to stay mum and watched the battle from the city walls. ------------------- Inside the Bakunawa¡­ Kei was holding on for dear life as he tumbled inside the throat of the Boss Monster. It was a good thing that he secured himself with grappling hooks before he started doing his business. Kei shouted and cursed the Bakunawa for being an unreasonable host, "Damn! I still haven''t wiped yet!" {Oi! Don''t you dare use your right hand to wipe it! I''ll fight you to the death!} "Grandma¡­you''re already dead!" {You unfilial boy! Oi! I told you not to use your right hand!} Kei grudgingly complied and used his left hand to wipe himself clean. It was hard, but he managed to properly do it despite the tumbling caused by the Bakunawa. Once his business was done, he decided to move to the second phase of the plan. "Grandma Sophie, are you sure this is going to work?" {Quit your nagging and just do it you bum!} Kei took out a small hand grenade from his storage pouch and firmly gripped it in his hands. This was another invention of his best friend, Little John, called the "Extra Spicy Super Hottie!" It''s a hand grenade filled to the brim with refined extract of the most exotic spice in the continent of Edelweiss called the "Angry Bird." It was called the Angry Bird because this ingredient was the favorite food of Thunder Rocs, and only grows on the cliffs near the forbidden areas of the continent. If there was someone foolish enough to pick it up, a swarm of Thunder Rocs would descend from their nests and rip the intruder to shreds. Their angry screech could be heard for miles and thus the name Angry Birds came to existence. "Hah! Let''s see if you''ll be able to resist the power of my Extra Spicy Super Hottie!" Grandma Sophie cackled in delight, {Aiya~ This gonna be good!} "Oh wait, I need to wear my protective mask first!" Kei wore his protective mask and activated the [Fresh Air] feature using a high grade monster core. He aimed towards the tonsil of the Bakunawa and threw the hand grenade with all his might. "Fire in the Hole!" The hand grenade hit its designated target and exploded in a shower of super spicy mayhem. The Bakunawa''s eyes rolled in its sockets as the spiciness over-rode its ability to think. It thrashed, swiped, flailed, and squirmed in agony hitting nearby monsters in its wake. It slammed down on the Dark Snake Lord and attacked it with unbridled fury. The Dark Snake Lord was caught by surprise and received heavy damage from the rampage of the Bakunawa. It fought back and both boss monsters battled like two blood thirsty gladiators in the arena. The adventurers cheered at this unexpected turn of events, and some of them even used this opportunity to place bets on who would win. Kei on the other hand was breathing through the mask and thanking the high heavens for this invention. If he threw the hand grenade without this breathing mask, he would have suffered the same fate as the Boss Monster. The adventurers became more motivated and attacked the monsters climbing the city walls with gusto. Their blood was boiling from the heroism that Kei had shown them. "Look at that! Do you still insist that the handsome young master is merely taking a dump?!" Alexander lowered his gaze in shame, "I-I was mistaken. I should have known that an Overlord like him doesn''t think like a normal person." A middle aged adventurer patted his shoulder, "At least you know when to admit your mistakes." "Yeah! You''re going to be a great adventurer someday! Hahahaha!" Alexander sighed and helped the adventurers clear out the monster army by casting spells from the safety of the city walls. The two boss monsters fought with everything they had. In the end, the Dark Snake Lord stepped over the corpse of the Bakunawa and roared towards the heavens. It didn''t know that Kei was busy extracting the monster core from within. "Hahahahaha! Boss Monster Core Get!" Kei said, happily. "Mmm, Grandma Sophie, your ideas are the best." {Ahem! Back when I was younger, I even trampled a horde of¡­} Kei coughed in order to cut her off. Grandma Sophie liked to boast about her adventures and her story telling could last for hours. He doesn''t have that leisure at the moment and decided to finish what he started. "Grandma Sophie, please activate the first seal." {Very well, but only for ten minutes,} Grandma Sophie said with worry. "Understood." Kei crawled and positioned himself right under the Dark Snake Lord. Grandma Sophie guided him to this location because she had the ability to sense everything in a one mile radius. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. {It''s now or never, remember only ten minutes!} Kei raised his hand and channeled his meager amount of magic power into the ring on his finger. "Exceed Break Activate!" [Voice Recognition Confirmed] [Scanning Current Status] [Kei Frieden | Human] [Body Physique: D] [Magic Power: D] ------------------------------ [Activating First Seal] [Kei Frieden | Child of Thunder] [Body Physique: A] [Magic Power: A] ------------------------------ Kei felt power surging through his body and small sparks of lightning danced on his fingertips. He wasted no time and channeled mana into the palm of his right hand. He chanted a spell that he hadn''t used for a long time and and felt exhilarated. "The power I wield would obliterate one and all. Pierce through the darkness and hear my call!" [Thunder God''s Wrath!] 16 Said West, Only My Perfection! "The power I wield would obliterate one and all. Pierce through the darkness and hear my call!" [Thunder God''s Wrath!] A powerful lightning nova exploded with Kei at the center. He pierced through the body of the Bakunawa with a spear made of lightning. The Dark Snake Lord didn''t even have time to react before its head was severed from its body with a single strike. If it was in its prime condition, Kei wouldn''t have succeeded with his sneak attack. It was quite fortunate that the Boss Monster was already heavily injured, and single blow from his lightning bolt was enough to kill it. Kei took the severed head and immediately placed it inside a storage bag. Everything within 10 meters of him were burned to a crisp by stray lightning bolts that freely roam his body. {Retreat back to the city walls hurry!} [Lightning Steps!] Kei conjured a lightning bolt in his hand and jumped. Sparks of lightning appeared on his feet which allowed him to hover in mid-air. He zigzagged through the Monster Army shooting down enemies with bolts of lightning as he passed by. The adventurers were awed by the overwhelming display of power he unleashed upon his foes. Kei was like a God of War wielding lightning bolts that obliterates everything in his path. He safely reached the city wall and landed right next to his retainers. Tifa and Milfa shot him worrying looks, but they both knew that they can''t approach their young master right now. Kei smiled at the two of them to ease their worries before looking back at the Monsters Army. He channeled the remaining mana in his right hand and chanted another spell. "Heavenly bolts that bring ruin and death, smite them all till their final breath." [Chain Lightning!] A powerful lightning bolt shot from his hand and it transformed into a lightning dragon. It roared once and slithered on the battlefield reaping countless lives as it passed unhindered. It successfully killed a fifth of the monster horde before a powerful monster stopped it in its tracks. The lightning dragon disappeared in a shower of sparks when a feathered serpent blocked it using its hand. Kei raised an eyebrow and appraised the new monster that appeared on the battlefield. Their two eyes met and the feathered serpent snorted in disdain. Clearly, it was not impressed by Kei''s show of power. "My God! The boss of the 50th floor has appeared!" Arnold said while the hands holding his staff trembled. "Quetzalcoatl!" The three Guildmasters flinched at Arnold''s announcement. The legendary boss monster of the Dungeon of Greed has finally made its appearance. No one has been able to clear the 50th floor, and everyone who dared to challenge it never returned alive. There was only one exemption, and that is the current Duke of Windsor, Thormund Windsor. He brought over two hundred elites in order to fight the boss monster, and he was only able to survive because of their sacrifice. He was heavily injured and was bedridden for three months. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he did was to tell the tale of this Mythical Beast that showed overwhelming power against an army of elites. He cautioned everyone to never step on the 50th floor unless they have a death wish. The Duke personally painted a portrait of Quetzalcoatl. He donated it to the Museum of the City of Amaranth. The top guilds of the Kingdom were invited during the exhibition, so that they can create copies of the painting. Now, the monster on that painting has come to life, and staring at them in disdain. Its overwhelming presence cannot be ignored and the adventurers felt genuine terror for the first time in their lives. Nick gulped and looked at his guildmaster, "Sir¡­" "Say no more." Jack said, frowning. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. The adventurers felt despair, they knew that this monster is not something that they can beat even if all the guilds worked together. Some of them were already running for their lives the moment they saw the boss monster appear. Only the members of the top three guilds in Amaranth stood their ground. They waited for the orders of their Guildmasters because they knew that they will not sacrifice them, and be used as cannon fodder. Jack, Jeff, and Sarah, the Three Guildmasters of Amaranth, simultaneously looked at their only hope. Kei Frieden, the fourth son of the Earl of Ravencourt, and one of the Overlords of the Eastern Federation stood arrogantly on top of the city wall. He was having a glaring competition with the Quetzalcoatl and the boss monster looked at him without blinking. A minute passed and one side of his lips curled up to form a sneer. "Hah! You dared to fight me in a staring match?!" Kei said, mockingly. "You are a hundred years too early!" The Boss Monster roared in defiance. There was a hint of unwillingness in its roar proving that what Kei said was right. Another form appeared beside it and it was none other than the boss of the 40th floor, Lamia. "Another troublesome foe has appeared," Sarah said while making a gesture for her members to wait for further instructions. "Handsome young master, I think we should retreat." Tifa said while looking at her young master with concern. Milfa anxiously stood by his side and pleaded, "Handsome young master, you still haven''t recovered from last time¡­" {Listen to them Kei,} Grandma Sophie Said. {We''ve already bought time for the evacuation. The citizens were able to escape safely.} ''Grandma Sophie, can you hear it?'' {Hear? Hear What?} ''The cry of a young girl asking for help,'' Kei said while closing his eyes. Grandma Sophie strained her ears to listen within the ring on Kei''s right hand. {I can''t hear anything...} Kei sighed and opened his eyes. He caressed the ring on his finger and looked at the two Boss Monsters in front of him. There was no fear in his eyes, only determination. "Grandma Sophie, please activate the last seal." {NO! I will not!} "Grandma¡­" {No! No Means NO!} Grandma Sophie shouted in exasperation. {You still haven''t fully recovered since the last time we unlocked the last seal!} "Sorry, Grandma Sophie, I made up my mind," Kei said. "I will unlock it, with or without your permission." {Kei STOP!} Kei made an arrogant pose and closed his fist. He extended his middle finger at the Quetzalcoatl and shouted. "Said West, Only My Perfection!" 17 Battle Through the Heavens PART 1 "Said West, Only My Perfection!" The ring on his right hand vibrated and Grandma Sophie cursed Kei for being reckless. {Damn you! You little bastard!} ------------------------------- [Voice Recognition Confirmed] [Scanning Current Status] [Kei Frieden | Child of Thunder] [Body Physique: A] [Magic Power: A] ------------------------------- [Activating Last Seal] [Kei Frieden | Child of Thunder] [Body Physique: SSR] [Magic Power: SSR] ------------------------------- Dark clouds appeared above the city of Amaranth. The sudden weather change caught everyone by surprise. Peals of thunder echoed in the heavens, and the tingling sensation of electric currents coursing through their bodies made them gasp. "Kzzzzzzzzt!" Tendrils of lightning surrounded Kei. They were similar to snakes that slithered within a five-meter radius from his body. Tifa and Milfa retreated to a safe distance and waited for their master''s order. His eyes glowed as the power of lightning flowed through his [Lightning Spirit Veins]. It was as if every fiber of his body waited for this day to arrive. The power sleeping within his body stirred as the overflowing mana moved unhindered. The feeling of Euphoria made Kei shiver. It was like a drug that he couldn''t get enough of. He knew the consequences of using this power, and the price he had to pay was steep. However, he didn''t hesitate because he knew that this was the only way for everyone to survive. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. He raised his hand and the brewing storm above him rumbled in delight. Thunder answered his call and roared with fury. Lightning danced in the heavens awaiting his jury. "Tifa, Milfa, please evacuate from the city," Kei said without turning his head to look at the two of them. His attention was focused on the Lamia and Quetzalcoatl in front of him. "Understood, handsome young master," Tifa replied. There was a tinge of hesitation in her voice, but she knew that her young master need to fight freely without thinking about their safety. "Handsome young master, please be careful," Milfa said, anxiously. "Don''t worry, these small fries are not even enough for my warm-up." Kei glanced at the adventurers, "All of you leave the city and stay as far away from here as you can." "Let us fight with you handsome young master!" Jack Megan said. His blood boiled in anticipation to fight side by side with one of the Overlords of the Federation. A soft cough was heard a few meters away from him and Sarah, the guild master of the Terra Riders, stepped forward. "Please let us participate in this battle as well. Amaranth, is our home, and it is our duty to protect it." "We too would like to participate in this battle, please allow us to do so," Jeff Wilson, the Guild Master of the Exodus Knights, expressed his intention to fight. Kei admired their bravery, but he knew that he wouldn''t be able to fight using his full power if they were around. He steeled himself and did what he had to do. "Fight with me? Aren''t all of you being delusional?" Kei said, mockingly. "All of you are merely ants that would die instantly if I were to lightly step on you." His overbearing words made the adventurers flinch, and some of them flared in anger. They knew that what he said was right, but they had their pride as adventurers. Kei looked at their unwilling expressions and sneered at them. "Know your place you pieces of trash!" He waved his hand, causing a powerful shock wave which blew everyone away from the city walls. They were like dust in the wind that fell a mile away without the strength to resist. The adventurers gasped in shock. They believed that the handsome young master of Ravencourt, one of the Overlords of the Federation, was a powerful existence. However, they were not aware that he was this powerful! The outrage that they felt earlier for being mocked and ridiculed was replaced with awe and reverence. They finally understood that this battle was not something they could participate in. They would merely get in the way if they stayed in the city and Kei was kind enough to bring them to a safe place. The three guild masters commanded their members to retreat another mile away from the city. When they thought they were far enough, all of them looked back and waited. They waited for the great battle that would be etched in their memories for the rest of their lives. "Handsome young master, we will go now." Tifa said while half-dragging her sister. She knew that Milfa was very worried about their young master, but they would only hinder him if they stayed. Milfa also understood this, so she turned her back to him with regret. The two of them chanted the spell of [Zephyr] and flew away. "It''s just you and me Grandma Sophie." {Hmmp!} A powerful gust of wind formed when the Quetzalcoatl flapped its wings and flew in the sky. Red Lightning enveloped its body and its intelligent eyes locked down on Kei. It paid no heed to the storm brewing above. It was a creature born from a lightning tribulation, so it was not afraid of thunder and lightning. In fact, it could also wield lightning to a certain extent. The red lightning that enveloped its body shone in defiance. Kei closed his eyes as the pleading voice once again whispered in his ears. ''Pl-ease¡­.elp¡­it¡­urts¡­'' "Wait for me¡­ I''ll come for you soon," Kei whispered, hoping that the source of the voice would be able to hear him. He took a step and instantly appeared in the middle of the battlefield. The Boss Monsters voiced out their command and their minions charged at Kei fearlessly. Kei flexed the fingers in his hand and chuckled. "Heaven''s will to destroy all living¡­ descend now and do my bidding!" [LORD OF VERMILION!] 18 Battle Through the Heavens END "Heaven''s will to destroy all living¡­ descend now and do my bidding!" [LORD OF VERMILION!] Thunder rumbled in the heavens, and lightning rained down from above onto the monster army. The adventures that were two miles away from the city saw the spectacle and felt goosebumps all over their body. If Kei didn''t blow them away, then they would have also found themselves in the center of that killing zone. They praised him once again for showing his benevolence and mercy upon them. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Tifa and Milfa looked at the battle from the sky, this was not the first time they saw their young master fight using his full power. There were no signs of amazement, nor reverence in their eyes. There was only worry, and helplessness, for not being able to stand by his side during this difficult time. The monster army was decimated and burned to a crisp, the lightning bolts that fell from the heavens were like the harbingers of death. No one was spared, and those who were not strong enough immediately turned to ash the moment a lightning bolt fell upon them. Kei waved his hand and a whip made of thunder coiled around the Lamia. He gave it a gentle tug and the Lamia found herself heading in his direction. A sneer appeared on Kei''s face as he delivered a heavy kick to her abdomen sending it hurtling towards the sky. The Quetzalcoatl immediately moved to catch his companion in mid-air. Kei took a step forward and appeared behind the boss monster. He casually placed his hand behind his back, and whispered to the ear of the Boss Monster. "Ants should know their place," Kei whispered, mockingly. The Boss Monster didn''t have time to react as a strong kick hit it from behind. It slammed towards the ground helplessly. The impact was strong enough to form a dust cloud, and Kei looked down in disdain. "So, the Legendary Boss of the Dungeon of Greed is only this strong? Pathetic." The Quetzalcoatl heard his words and howled in rage. It flew towards the sky to fight him. The red lightning in its body formed a giant spear. It charged fearlessly to confront his nemesis with the intention of impaling him. Kei yawned as he watched the boss monster approached him in fury. The look of indifference in his face made the Feathered Serpent angrier, but he didn''t mind. In his eyes, the Boss Monster was just like a baby trying fighting an adult. How can a baby possibly win? The two were only ten meters apart when the Quetzalcoatl stabbed his spear forward. His spear craved for blood, and he craved for this person''s life. This was the first time that someone dared to humiliate him in his long years of existence. He needed to wash away the shame and only the death of this man would pacify his anger. It stabbed with all its strength and waited in anticipation for the blood shower that would immediately follow. Kei smiled and raised his index finger. The point of the spear and his finger collided. The scene that the Boss Monster anticipated didn''t happen. Instead, it stared wide-eyed at the scene in front of him. Kei''s index finger completely blocked his attack with ease. The Quetzalcoatl''s gaping jaw made Kei chuckle. He deftly moved his thumb and pinched the spear to hold it in place. The boss snapped out of its daze and pulled its weapon. However, no matter how hard he pulled, his spear was firmly locked in place. {Impossible!} "Oh? So you can talk using telepathy, impressive." {Who are you?!} The Quetzalcoatl said using telepathy. {What are you?!} It refused to believe that an ordinary human could make it suffer defeat this easily. He glared at Kei and demanded an answer. "Me? I''m your Daddy Kei, and I''m here to spank you for being a bad kid." {What are you?! Answer ME!} Instead of answering, Kei smirked and arrogantly raised his chin. "A Quetzalcoatl is born from a lightning tribulation so that makes you resistant to lightning right? Let''s put that resistance of yours to the test." Kei pinched the lightning spear and it disappeared in a shower of sparks. The Boss Monster immediately retreated a hundred meters away from him. It thought it was safe when it heard a voice from behind. "I am the conqueror of the Heavens," Kei said and a black lightning bolt descended from the sky. It hit the Quetzalcoatl on its chest making it scream in pain. The Boss Monster realized then and there that it had no hope of winning against Kei. The feeling of fear gripped its heart and for the first time in its life, the thought of escape crossed its mind. He was a mythical beast, a blessed creature born from the powers of the dungeon core. It was the Supreme King, the lord of the dungeon. Unchallenged, unsurpassed, and had everyone at its beck and call. It was content living inside the dungeon, but it had no choice but to leave because the dungeon core had undergone corruption. If it stayed, it would had been corrupted too. {If only my master didn''t undergo corruption¡­} Kei''s arrogant voice brought him out of his daze. "I need no introduction." A chain of purple lightning coiled around the Boss Monster and held it in place. Kei looked at the Lamia on the ground and bound it with purple chains as well. "Equal of Heaven, loved by the Gods." Peals of thunder rang out from the sky. Their thunderous roars were enough to deafen anyone who were close enough to hear them. It was as if they were shouting in joy to proclaim the name of their lord. "I am Kei Frieden, the Child of Thunder!" Black Lightning fell down from the sky and caressed Kei''s body in a loving embrace. The Quetzalcoatl stared at him without blinking. It had surrendered itself to its fate. The only thing that it wanted to do right now was to engrave Kei''s face and voice in its memory. "You can rest. I will save your master for you." Those arrogant and overbearing words were the last thing it heard before the Wrath of the Heavens descended and bathed him in a shower of lightning bolts. 19 Shino Alstroemeria On the 50th floor of the Dungeon of Greed the dungeon core was pulsating. A small golden glow was located on its center and glowing with all its might. The rest of its body was covered in black stains, and only that small part remains untainted. A sigh was heard from the ring on Kei''s finger as Grandma Sophie gave her analysis. {It''s 97% corrupted¡­} Kei stared with pity at the dungeon core that was on the brink of total corruption. He approached it and put his palm on top of it. The black stains tried to invade him too, but the electric current kept them at bay. A soft pleading whisper was heard from it, "el¡­p¡­ea..se." "Grandma Sophie, I can''t stay in this form for much longer," Kei said. "Please tell me the way to help her." A few seconds passed before Grandma Sophie gave her a reply. {There is a way, but can you pay the price?} "What price do I need to pay?" {You won''t be able to use the power of "Exceed Break" for a year and I have to go to hibernation for a few months. } Kei knew that there were more conditions so he just waited for Grandma Sophie''s explanation. {You will also have to pay a fifth of your lifespan because a dungeon core is a special existence that is created by the laws of this world,} Grandma Sophie sighed from within the ring, {Kei¡­is this dungeon core worth it?} The dungeon core''s glow was getting faint, it wouldn''t be long before it was consumed completely by the darkness. Kei gently caressed it and gave his answer. "I don''t know if it''s worth it," Kei said. "But, I want to save it." {I knew you''d say that. Very well, we don''t have much time. The process needs half a day to complete, we should not be disturbed during that process.} Kei turned his head to look behind him and issued his orders. "Guard the entrance of the dungeon, make sure no one will disturb me," Kei said. "Do I make myself clear?" ""As you command, handsome young master."" Tifa and Milfa obeyed his orders and headed to the teleport gate that would instantly take them to the entrance of the dungeon. "The two of you, stand guard on the entrance of the 50th floor. If anyone dares to enter, you have my permission to go for the kill." {Yes, master} {I hear and obey, my Lord.} The Lamia and the Quetzalcoatl bowed their heads and left. The two of them had sworn allegiance to him after their battle. Kei thought that it would be a waste to kill the two of them, so he spared their life. He was also not dumb enough to accept their allegiance at face value, and used a soul contract to bind them. If any of them disobeyed his orders, their souls would cease to exist. Kei was left alone in the dungeon core room and waited for Grandma Sophie''s instructions. {You are almost at your limit and I doubt you will remain conscious until the end. So pick up the dungeon core, hug it, and lie down. I will do the rest.} He obeyed without question because he was indeed nearing his limits. He hugged the dungeon core firmly in place and closed his eyes. Grandma Sophie used a special binding spell and enclosed Kei and the dungeon core into a cocoon. Not long after, Kei lost consciousness and Grandma Sophie performed the cleansing ceremony. The dark blight that had stained the dungeon core suddenly moved in frenzy. It felt a great threat coming from the ring on Kei''s finger. {Hmmp, so it was the work of a Devil King. It seems that some had escaped the purge from a thousand years ago.} The ring glowed and a powerful beam of light hit the center of the dungeon core. The spiritual form of Grandma Sophie materialized and established a connection. {Child, can you hear me?} "H..elp¡­ea¡­se" {Do you have a name?} "Shi..no" {Shino was it?} Grandma Sophie said, gently. {A beautiful name, do you have a last name?} "No¡­" Grandma Sophie sighed, {Shino, I''ll be honest. I don''t want to save you.} "..." {Unfortunately, a stupid boy will be sad if I don''t.} Grandma Sophie glanced at Kei. He looked exhausted and his breathing was labored. She felt guilt in seeing his current condition, so she averted her gaze and spoke to the dungeon core. {I''m not a charitable person, Shino, so I''ll give you a choice. Devote yourself to him or cease to exist,} Grandma Sophie said, indifferently. The spirit of the dungeon core looked at the man who held her in his embrace. For some reason, she felt safe in his arms, and something deep inside her stirred. "I..wi¡­ll..de..vote¡­myself¡­to..him." {Very well, but you will no longer be a dungeon core. You will inherit my name and be reborn as my daughter.} The ring glowed and a drop of blood flew from it. It gently landed on the center of the dungeon core where the final vestige of radiance remained. The blood merged with the dungeon core, and the black stains writhed in agony. The dungeon core shone brilliantly one last time before it slowly disintegrated. A corporeal body floated from its remains. It glowed and pulsated like a beating heart. {It''s time for me to take your life force Kei.} Grandma Sophie placed her spiritual hand on Kei''s forehead and chanted a spell. The ancient spell forcefully sucked the life force from his body. The only saving grace was that Kei was unconscious during this process, or else he would be writhing in pain. Some of the strands of hair on his head instantly turned white as the life drain took its toll on his body. When Grandma Sophie deemed it to be sufficient, she removed her hand. She made a gesture and the corporeal body of the dungeon core floated towards her. {I now bestow upon you new life. From this moment on, your name is Shino Alstroemeria!} With a touch, she transferred Kei''s life force to the corporeal form. It glowed and slowly transformed. Grandma Sophie watched in anticipation as the final radiance died out. The form of a young lady appeared before her. She had long blond hair and her budding beauty was enough to make everyone fawn upon her. Grandma Sophie had no doubt in her mind that when this young lady matured, she would be a peerless beauty that would cause the downfall of a nation. She gave a brief nod and praised herself, {As expected, my genes are good!} If Kei was only able to hear her boasting, he would have rolled his eyes at her shamelessness. The young lady''s eyes slowly opened, her adorable mouth parted to intake a breath of air. Her beautiful scarlet eyes gazed at Grandma Sophie unwavering. Not long after, she bowed her head and spoke her greetings. "Thank you, Mother, for giving me new life," Shino said, respectfully. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. {Oh, I forgot to ask earlier, but how old were you before you were reborn?} "Two hundred years old." Grandma Sophie chuckled, {I see, a legal loli. Not bad!} "Legal loli?" {Hush dear, we don''t have much time. Let''s talk about that later,} Grandma Sophie said, mischievously. {For now I''ll teach you the art of seduction while that little boy is still sleeping.} Grandma Sophie started to lecture her daughter on all the ways on how she could make Kei fall in love with her. Shino listened to her teaching and nodded her head. Grandma Sophie didn''t know that even without her urging, Shino has no intention of leaving his side. The shameless mother and daughter pair hatched a plan that would make Kei fall in their hands. ''Hmmp! My daughter deserves the best. I will only approve of Kei and no one else!'' 20 Cooked Rice Cannot Be Uncooked! Kei stirred from his sleep. He winced in pain as a throbbing headache assaulted his senses the moment he regained consciousness. He tried to open his eyes, but he found that he was unable to. He tried to move his hand, and other parts of his body, but it was to no avail. More like, he couldn''t even feel his body. ''Sleep paralysis?'' There was a possibility that this condition was caused by sleep paralysis. However, he had not experienced this sensation before, so he could not be certain whether this was accurate. He organized his thoughts and another conclusion came to mind. ''Side effects of using the Exceed Break¡­'' {Eh? Not really.} Kei''s consciousness trembled the moment he heard Grandma Sophie''s voice. He didn''t think that she would be able to hear him in his current state. ''Grandma Sophie, what happened?'' {I took some of your life force, so your body is still recovering from the life drain.} Grandma Sophie''s voice was tinged with exhaustion. {The cleansing ceremony was a success, the dungeo- I mean, Shino is safe.} ''Shino?'' {Ahem! She''s my newborn daughter! She''s a real beauty you know!} ''I see, then we succeeded. That''s good.'' Kei felt relieved when he heard the news from Grandma Sophie, and decided to wait until the side effect of the Life Drain came to an end. {Kei, I''ll leave her in your care,} Grandma Sophie said, mischievously. {I will be sleeping inside the ring for a few months, so make sure to take good care of her.} ''Of course, you can count on me.'' {She was 200 years old before she was reborn, so despite how young she looks, she''s perfectly legal!} Kei wasn''t stupid. The way Grandma Sophie addressed her newborn daughter was like a merchant trying to sell her wares to her customers. He had the impulse to grab a broom and slap her for being an irresponsible parent. Unfortunately, his paralysis prevented him from doing so. ''Grandma Sophie, are you trying to play matchmaker?'' {Hmp! You got a problem with that?} ''You already know my current circumstances¡­'' {Aiyo~ of course I know!} Grandma Sophie said in annoyance. {You already have a Fiancee, then you have Milfa, and that little sister of yours is making her moves on you as well. Even though she tried to hide it, it wasn''t able to escape my eyes!} Grandma Sophie started cursing him for being a womanizer, playboy, lady-killer, lady''s man, and so on and so forth. {I forgot, you also have that slave in the Central Empire of Sparta. You lolicon!} ''Oi! Grandma, I''m not a lolicon! I''m a member of the Lolita no Touch Faction!'' {Hmp! Your fiancee, your sister, and that slave of yours were all fourteen-years old.} Grandma Sophie said, indignantly. {If that''s not being a lolicon then what the hell are you?! A new breed of rabbit?} ''I didn''t do anything ah! This is unfair ah! I didn''t make any moves on them ah!'' {All of them are underaged¡­but, my daughter is 200 years old. Perfectly legal yo~} If Kei had full control of his body, he would have already spat a mouthful of blood at Grandma Sophie''s shamelessness. She berated him for his fiancee, his sister, and his slave, because they were all under-aged. Yet, she pushed her daughter on him like it was perfectly normal. ''Ai~ being handsome is a sin.'' {Hmp! I will admit that you didn''t do anything and yet those girls pushed themselves onto you. However, that doesn''t change the fact that you didn''t reject any of them! Silly boy, do you think I don''t know that you''ve always wanted to have a harem?} ''You''re forgetting something Grandma, my fiancee agreed that I can have three wives. I''m also waiting for her to be of legal age before marrying her.'' {Hehe, three wives you say?} Grandma Sophie said in disdain. {You have your fiancee, your sister, your slave, and Milfa. That''s already four! Since you already have four¡­adding one more wouldn''t make a difference!} Kei wanted to roll his eyes at Grandma Sophie''s shameless attempt to push her daughter on him. He sighed knowing that her words held truth in them. His fiancee agreed that he could have three wives. He still didn''t count his sister, and his slave as bride candidates, because they were still too young and Kei believed that they still didn''t understand what love really was. He intended to wait for them to grow up, and perhaps they would realize that the love they felt for him was the love towards a family member. Right now, there were only two ladies that he intended to have a serious relationship with, his fiancee, and Milfa. Not to mention, Grandma Sophie was hell-bent to add her daughter to the mix. {Kei, you don''t have to worry. Back in my days, having three wives and four concubines was very normal.} ''Grandma Sophie¡­'' {Fine, since you don''t want the soft approach time for plan B!} ''Plan B? What Plan-'' Kei was not able to continue what he was going to say because he suddenly felt his sense of touch return to him. Something soft was caressing his chest and Kei focused all his attention on that feeling. He could tell that it was a pair of small hands and they were clumsily groping his body. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. ''Oi! Grandma Sophie! Wha-What are you planning?!'' {Hehe, Kei, do you know that cooked rice cannot be uncooked?} ''Oh Shi-- Don''t tell me!'' {Just lie down and enjoy, you don''t have to do anything yo~} Grandma Sophie said, chuckling. {Your sense of touch has returned, so you understand what''s coming up next right?} Kei was unable to see and unable to move, but because of his current condition, the sensitivity of his body was heightened. His sense of hearing chose that time to return to him and he was just in time to hear Grandma Sophie talking to someone. {Yes, that''s the way to do it. Slowly, but surely.} Kei felt soft hands caress his body in a gentle massage. The soft hands felt good and the warmth they brought made him shiver. Her movements were clumsy, but the comfort they brought seeped through his very bones. He realized that the reason why his sense of touch returned was because of this clumsy massage. He concluded that Shino was trying to revive his body and Grandma Sophie was only teasing him. Kei relaxed and before he knew it, he drifted back to sleep. 21 Isll Be Your Hug Pillow Kei didn''t know how long he slept, but it was the most comfortable sleep that he ever had since he started his journey away from home. He was still half asleep when he felt something soft in his embrace. He opened his eyes his eyes to see the source of this softness and what he saw jolted him fully awake. He was cuddling a young lady and the latter was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face. Kei started to organize his blurry thoughts and remembered the conversation he had with Grandma Sophie. Looking at the adorable beauty sleeping beside him, he concluded that this must be the former dungeon core, Shino. The gears on his head started to churn and he realized that he overlooked something important. With great regret, he gently shook the sleeping beauty beside him. Shino slowly opened her eyes and looked at him in a daze. She blinked once, then twice before smiling. "Good Morning, Master" Shino said, happily. She cupped his face and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Kei wasn''t able to resist her cuteness and kissed her forehead before standing up. "Your name is Shino I presume?" "Yes, Master." The two of them stared at each other creating an awkward silence. Kei scratched his head and decided to ask a few questions since Grandma Sophie seems to have started her hibernation. "I had been asleep for how many days?" "Two days, Master." "Did Grandma Sophie leave behind any message for me?" Shino held the side of her face and blushed. Kei was taken aback by her reaction and he knew that Grandma Sophie said something to her while he was sleeping. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Mother said that," Shino said, shyly. "From now on, I''ll be your hug pillow." Kei tilted his head before asking, "Hug Pillow?" "Un! It''s something you hug when you sleep." "Hug when I sleep?" "Yes!" Shino said while nodding her head. "You don''t have to listen to your Mother, she''s just being silly." Kei said as he cursed Grandma Sophie in his heart. Shino remembered the advice that her Mother told her and put it to good use. --------------------- {Remember this Shino, Kei is weak against tears, especially if it''s the tears from a girl!} "Tears?" {Yes, it''s the ultimate weapon you can use against Kei, so make sure to use it when needed!} --------------------- Shino looked down and after a few seconds a teardrop fell on the ground. Kei stood in shock as he saw the young lady in front of her started to cry. "Wa-Wait, why are you crying?" "Master, didn''t want me." Shino sat on the ground and covered her eyes with her hands. She started to cry and her tears flowed freely down her face. "Who said I didn''t want a hug pillow?! I''ve always wanted to have one!" Kei said, anxiously. ''What is a hug pillow anyway?!'' He tried his best to calm the crying loli by giving her headpats and hugs. In time, Shino''s tears stopped and the two of them walked hand in hand and headed towards the entrance of the 50th floor. The Lamia and the Quetzalcoatl saw their arrival and knelt before them. The two Boss Monsters, stared at Shino and she in turn smiled at them. Kei introduced her to the two of them. "Her name is Shino, and she was the former dungeon core of this dungeon." "Hello!" {Mistress, it''s good to know you''re safe!} {Mistress, Praise the Gods!} Kei gave a soft cough and the two monster bowed their heads and waited for his orders. "Quetzalcoatl, you will be assigned as my personal bodyguard." {I hear and obey my Lord} "Lamia, you will be guarding Shino from now on." {Yes, Master.} "Can the two of you change your forms?" Kei said, frowning. "Your current forms are too eye catching." Shino tugged Kei''s clothes from the side, "Master, leave this to me." Her scarlet eyes glowed and the two boss monsters became smaller. The Quetzalcoatl became a colorful bird of prey, and the Lamia turned into a white serpent. The Quetzalcoatl landed on Kei''s shoulder and the Lamia coiled around Shino''s arm. The four of them returned to the dungeon core room and entered the portal that would warp them to the entrance of the dungeon. The first thing they saw when they appearedwere the relieved faces of Tifa and Milfa. The two noticed the streaks of white hair on Kei''s head and frowned. Kei shook his head and gave them the ''I will tell you later look.'' The two of them shifted their attention to the young lady who was holding their young master''s hand. Kei smiled and introduced her to the two of them. "Her name is Shino, Shino Alstroemeria," Tifa and Milfa both nodded their head in greeting and Kei continued his introduction. "The two of them are my most trusted subordinates, Tifa and Milfa Lionheart." "Nice to meet the two of you." Shino said, smiling. ''So, this is the girl Milfa my mother told me about.'' Shino sized up Milfa and the latter did the same to her. Both of them nodded at the same time as if to affirm something that only the two of them understood. Kei was watching from the side and a hollow chuckle escaped his lips. "Ah, before I forget, these are my new servants. Luke and Lily. I hope you guys will work together from now on." Luke chirped and Lily hissed her greeting. Tifa and Milfa nodded their heads in acknowledgement. "Now that the introductions are done, let''s have a talk with the Duke of Windsor." Kei smiled mischievously. He intended to milk the Duke of Windsor dry as the reward for preventing a dungeon outbreak in his Dukedom. Their party headed towards the city of Amaranth where the army of Windsor made their camp. 22 Do as you Wish Thormund Windsor was having a headache, the person responsible for saving his Dukedom was in front of him and enjoying a feast of delicacies. His lips twitched as he watched the shameless display of affection between Kei and his entourage. "Master, say ah¡­" "Ah¡­" Kei chewed the buttered prawns in delight. Shino were using her hands in feeding him and he enjoyed the feeling of intimacy. "Handsome young master, please say ah¡­" "Ah¡­" The delicious taste of crab soup assailed his taste buds. It has been a while since Milfa volunteered to feed him. The affectionate look in her eyes warmed his heart. Tifa was looking at her young master with a smirk. She noticed that all the food that Shino and Milfa were feeding him were all crustaceans. She decided to keep mum about it and waited in anticipation for the night activities thatfollow after. When the feast finally ended, Thormund''s eyes were bloodshot. He sighed in relief and gestured for the servants to clear up the table. The time to talk business has come and he waited for Kei to take the initiative. Kei leisurely cleaned his teeth using a toothpick and gave the Duke of Windsor an arrogant look. He was seated like a king with Shino and Milfa by his side. Kei held their waist and dragged the two of them closer to him. The two complied and snuggled beside him. It made him look like a hero protagonist. Unfortunately, his facial features that were only slightly better than a hob goblin ruined this picture perfect setting. "Let''s cut to the chase, Duke of Windsor," Kei said with arrogance written all over his face. "How much are you going to compensate me for saving your Dukedom?" "How much do you want?" Thormund said without batting an eye. "I want a city." "Which one?" Kei grinned and winked at the Duke, "Amaranth." The Duke frowned and organized his thoughts. He knew that without the Dungeon of Greed, the city of Amaranth won''t have much value, but Kei wanted it. This means that there is more to this city than meets the eye. Thormund stared at the young man in front of him. He knew that this Overlord was the most devious among the Five in the Eastern Federation and dealing with him requires careful thought and planning. ''There must be something in this city that has piqued his interest, but what could it be?'' "Of course, you can refuse my offer." Kei said with indifference. "But, I will let the entire Federation know that the Duke of Windsor refused to compensate the hero that saved his Dukedom." Thormund snorted because he knew that he couldn''t take this threat lightly. If Kei was going to use this incident to blackmail him, then the consequences could be unimaginable. Besides, making an Overlord as his enemy was a very stupid thing to do. Kei was being aloof and he ignored the Duke who was staring at him. He patted Shino''s head and caressed Milfa''s waist while waiting for Thormund''s decision. He was the hero of Amaranth and this fact couldn''t be denied. The King of Edelweiss would also need to pay lip service and award him with a few treasures. The King needed to do this to show the citizens that he was fair and generous to those who did meritorious service to the kingdom. Nobles and Royalty care about their reputation, and Kei is an expert when it comes to taking advantage of others. Thormnund heaved a sigh of frustration, "If I were to agree to your condition, what would you do with this city?" Kei didn''t reply and merely chuckled. ''Tell you what I''m going to do with this city? Dream on.'' The Duke held the bridge of his nose and thought long and hard. A few minutes passed before he finally agreed to Kei''s demand. "Very well. I will turn-over the deed of the City in your hands." "Excellent." Thormund took out a scroll from his storage ring. It was the deed for the City of Amaranth and although he have mixed feelings about turning it over to Kei, it was a small price to pay for stopping a dungeon outbreak. Kei gazed at the worn out scroll and examined it carefully. He estimated that it was over a thousand years and the writing has almost faded with time. He carefully placed it inside his own storage ring and smiled at the Duke. "Since our business is done, I will now take my leave. Have a good day Duke of Windsor." Kei said. Thormund stood up and approached Kei to shake his hand. "I hope that the two of us can be close friends, Kei of Ravencourt." ''Why the hell would I want to get close to you?'' Kei returned the handshake with a grin. ''Sorry, I don''t like old men.'' The two parted not knowing what each other were thinking. Kei and his entourage looked for an inn to stay because he still haven''t fully recovered. The City of Amaranth didn''t receive much damage from the battle because Kei tried to minimize the damage as much as possible. The city walls may had been destroyed, but the core of the city was still intact. The citizens of the city had also returned after the Duke announced that it was safe. He met with Tifa and Milfa two days ago and confirmed that the crisis had been resolved. Although he was curious on what Kei was doing inside the dungeon, he decided to not pry any further. ---------------------------- Kei took a bath in order to relax and wash away the fatigue on his body. He spent the whole day writing letters because he needed to inform his family and a few others on what transpired in the City of Amaranth. He was worried that it was the prelude for something bigger and without his powers, he would not be able to offer his assistance. He wanted the other Overlords of the Federation to be wary of possible dungeon outbreaks in their respective territories. It didn''t take long before he finished bathing. When he returned to the bedroom, Milfa was there waiting for him. She helped dry his hair with her magic and helped him wear his pajamas. For some reason, she didn''t leave the room as if waiting for something. Kei thought that she was waiting for him to fall asleep so he decided to lie down on the bed. As if waiting for that moment, Shino entered the room. She was wearing a black one piece, frilly lingerie, and it looked good on her. Kei gulped when he saw the young lady approach him. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and lied beside him. "Master, I am your hug pillow." She said with an adorable smile. "You need to hug me when you sleep." ''Grandma Sophie¡­you and your little schemes.'' Kei sighed internally. He didn''t want to make her cry again so he decided to play along for now. He hugged Shino and was surprised on how soft she was. She had a sweet floral scent and Kei assumed that she just finished taking a bath herself. It took a while before he found a comfortable position and closed his eyes. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Not long after, someone hugged him from behind. He almost melted when he felt two soft peaks pressed against his back. It could only belong to the other person that was still in the room with him, Milfa. "Master, I want to be your hug pillow too." Her sweet voice tickled his ears and Kei wasn''t able to reject her proposal. A blush appeared on his cheek. He was a healthy young man and to be sandwiched between two beautiful ladies made him feel embarrassed and happy at the same "Do as you wish." He barely managed to make an audible reply, but Milfa was able to hear it. She smiled and hugged him tighter. Kei relaxed and allowed the two ladies to do as they pleased. the two in turn, snuggled closer to him. ''Hug Pillows are the Best.'' This was the last thought in his mind before he finally closed his eyes to sleep. 23 Being Handsome is a Sin Kei was awakened by a pair of soft hands that were gently caressing the sides of his face. When he opened his sleepy eyes, the first thing he saw was Shino and Milfa smiling down on him. Noticing that he had awoken, the two giggled before giving him a kiss on the cheek. This was a new experience for Kei, and the sweet sensation of being kissed upon waking up jolted him fully awake. A blush appeared on his face as he remembered what transpired last night. His expression earned him another giggle from the girls, and the two gave him another round of kisses. ''This could get addicting,'' Kei mused as the two snuggled close to him. "You girls were taking advantage of this young master while he was sleeping!" Kei said, while the corner of his lips curled into a grin. "What will you do if I get pregnant? Will the two of you take responsibility?" "Master, Shino had been a bad girl. Please, discipline Shino." "Handsome young master, this servant has overstepped her bounds, I will accept my punishment." "Hmmp! You think you can get away with just that?" Kei said. "Kiss me again and don''t stop until I tell you too. If you do that, I''ll overlook this incident!" "Yes, Master." "As you command, handsome young master." The two of them showered Kei with kisses while the latter had a silly grin plastered on his face. ''Ai~ being handsome is a sin.'' The two girls became bold and their kisses became more sensual. They kissed Kei''s cheeks, his ears, his eyebrows, his nose, and they took turns kissing his lips. Kei was a willing victim to their advances and the two of them kissed him until he was satisfied. Kei hugged their waists and kissed both of them on the cheeks. "Very good, I hope the two of you learned from this lesson." "Yes, Master. I learned a lot from this lesson." "Handsome young master, what about tomorrow''s lesson?" Kei patted their heads with a smile. "Let''s put that on hold for tomorrow, until then the two of you be good." Shino and Milfa didn''t say anything else and helped Kei change his clothes before going to the other room to get changed themselves. Kei scratched his cheek as he pondered on how he would handle his current relationship with the two beauties that would be staying by his side. He opened the window in his room and allowed the gentle breeze to caress his face. The warmth of the sunlight seeped through his bones as the chirping of birds heralded the start of a new day. It was a sunny day just like this when he met his fiance for the very first time. It was two years ago when she escaped from the temple in order to see him. For some reason, she knew which inn he was staying at. She also managed to convince the innkeeper to hand the spare key to his room and waited for his arrival. Kei was surprised when he found her waiting in his room, but he used this as an opportunity to have a serious discussion with her. The two of them had a heart to heart talk. Kei tried to convince her that she was still too young to understand what love was, but she was hell bent to make him her fiance. Her ''Guardian'' was in cahoots with her and Kei wasn''t able to reject her sincere feelings for him. He compromised and told her that after four years, if her feelings doesn''t change he would agree to marry her. Fiona accepted the condition without batting an eye. The two spent the afternoon with Kei telling her stories about overpowered protagonists who only knew how to collect women and add them to his harem. ------------------------ "Kei, I will allow you to have three wives." Fiona said. "Only three? How about four?" "Three!" ------------------------ Kei grinned as he remembered this scene from two years ago. His Fiance only allowed him to have three wives and he agreed to it because he thought that he would not get the opportunity to have more than one wife in his lifetime. The only problem now was that... there were more than three girls who were aiming for his drop dead gorgeous body. "Ai~ It''s not my fault for being born handsome." His murmuring was heard by two ladies passing on the street below. They were about where the sound was coming from and saw him standing by the window. The two of them gave him a long, hard look before spitting on the street in disgust. It''s not your fault for being handsome? Have you ever looked in the mirror? The two ladies hastened their pace as if staying another second in the vicinity would rob them of their chastity. If Kei heard their words, he would have answered, ''Yes! I''ve looked at mirrors countless times, but they all break after a few seconds!'' Kei shook his head at the two ladies that looked at him in disgust. He watched their backs disappear from his view before returning to his ruminations. He couldn''t be bothered to think about two ugly ducklings right now while his two beauties were waiting for his decision. When Milfa confessed to him, she insisted that she would not fight for the position of his legal wife. As long as Kei made her his concubine, it would be enough for her. Kei was shocked when he heard her proposal because he didn''t realize that Milfa felt that way about him. Back then, he wasn''t able to give her an answer and Milfa didn''t pressure him to give one. The two of them resumed their Master and retainer relationship and kept mum about the incident. Now that a new love rival had appeared, Milfa didn''t back down and instead, stepped forward. She was now openly showing her feelings for him through words and actions. If Kei still refuse to answer her feelings, he would not be able to consider himself a man! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. He remembered Grandma Sophie''s senile mumbling when they were still in the dungeon. {Kei, you don''t have to worry. Back in my days, having three wives and four concubines was very normal.} Kei scratched his head anxiously. "I need to talk to Fiona about this." He was still deep in thought when two sweet voices brought him out of his daze. "Master." "Handsome young master." Kei turned his head to look at the two beautiful ladies in front of him. Shino and Milfa moved closer and patiently waited for his orders. He smiled and held their hands before leaving the room. The two girls held his hand firmly as if not wanting to let go. The cloudy haze in Kei''s head disappeared as he made his decision. ''Ai~ being handsome is a sin.'' 24 The Weight of a Promise With the deed of the city of Amaranth securely in his hands, Kei held a meeting with all the adventurer guilds in the city. The officers of the different guilds--including the major guilds like the Harkon Brigade, Terra Riders, and Exodus Knights--went to the Estate of the City Lord to answer his summons. Some of them already had intentions of leaving the city and going to the other ''dungeon cities'' in the Kingdom of Edelweiss. However, they were also curious about what the new Lord of Amaranth had to say, so they decided to postpone their plans until the meeting was over. Kei stood on the terrace overlooking everyone who heeded his summons. He could see the admiration, worry, anxiousness, fear, and contempt on their faces. He knew that time was of the essence, so he cut directly to the chase. He cleared his throat and started his speech. "As you may already know, I destroyed the core of the Dungeon of Greed," Kei said while looking at them in an arrogant manner. "That also means that this city''s main attraction is no longer here." The adventurers had grim looks on their faces. They knew that without the dungeon, their means of livelihood was also gone. Faint murmurings were heard every now and then, but the guild masters of the Three Major Guilds didn''t say anything and waited for Kei''s next words. The side of Kei''s lips curled up. He knew what the adventurers were thinking, so he decided to throw a bait. "Two months ago, the Earldom of Ravencourt discovered a dungeon." He paused for a while before taking a pose and flipping his hair. "It is fairly new and we need experts to explore it." The moment the adventurers heard the phrase "discovered a dungeon" all of them closed their mouth to listen. There was a pin drop silence and even Kei was surprised by how attentive they were. Their eyes were bloodshot like they were high on aphrodisiac and Kei was a beautiful, naked, girl that was enticing them to ravage her. His original goal in Amaranth was to talk to the three major guilds in order to convince any of them to migrate to their Earldom. The dungeon outbreak was truly unexpected, and Kei now had a perfect opportunity to get not only the three major guilds, but the other adventurer guilds as well. He arrogantly raised his chin and roared at the crowd. "Those who are willing to explore this new dungeon, raise your hand!" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. He looked at the crowd before him and his smile grew wider. ''Interesting.'' The adventurers stood straight, but none of them raised their hand. They stared at their guild masters waiting for their decision. Kei was very impressed by their discipline, and he was now more determined to bring them under his wing. "A very interesting proposal," Jeff Wilson, the Guild Master of the Exodus Knights said in a relaxed manner. "Are you perhaps trying to recruit all of the guilds of this city, Your Excellency?" "I am," Kei said without batting an eye. Jeff nodded and stepped forward. "The Dungeon Core has been destroyed, and the Dungeon of Greed had ceased to exist¡­" He stared at the new City Lord with a calm gaze. "If I didn''t see your excellency''s heroism in the battlefield, then I would say that everything that has happened here¡­ was just one big coincidence." The hidden meaning behind his speech created a spark and the murmuring from the crowd started once again. Kei ignored these murmurings and yawned before giving his reply. "So you''re saying that the Dungeon Outbreak was all part of my plan?" Kei asked with an amused look. "I wouldn''t dare your Excellency," Jeff said while shrugging his shoulders. "After all, I can''t possibly accuse one of the Overlords of the Federation." He paused before spreading his hands helplessly. "Nor can I say that his Excellency destroyed the Dungeon Core for his own benefit." Tifa, Milfa, and Shino were standing behind Kei. They glared at Jeff, but the Guild Master was unperturbed. He even gave the three of them an arrogant smile which ticked the three of them even more. ''Luke, Lily, make sure to teach that guy and his guild a lesson when they leave the city.'' Shino was still the one who created the two boss monsters, so she could communicate and give orders to them directly. ''Don''t forget to steal their guild treasures too!'' Kei added. {Yes Mistress!} {I hear and obey, My Lord.} The murmuring from the crowd of adventurers became louder. Jeff Wilson turned his head to look at the officers of his own guild. All of them nodded their heads and Jeff gave them a brief nod before glancing back at Kei. "The Exodus Knights will go to the Dukedom of Sepiroth. I apologize for not ''falling into your hands'', your Excellency." Kei rolled his eyes at Jeff''s reply. An old face appeared in his mind and he couldn''t help but curse the Old Fox for being two steps ahead of him. ''He sent an invitation while I was still unconscious inside the dungeon. He got me really good.'' Kei narrowed his eyes and observed the other guilds. He was now sure that some of them received similar invitations from the other lords of the Kingdom. "Very well, I pray for your success in all your endeavors," Kei said while magnanimously waving his hand. ''I pray that you get athletes foot too!'' Jeff frowned. For some reason he felt an itch on his foot, but he decided to ignore it. He left the estate of the City Lord with his men and some of the other guilds followed behind him. Kei watched them go with indifference, but deep inside he was still cursing the Old Duke of Sepiroth. A sudden movement brought him out of his daze as he saw a beautiful woman stepped forward to give him a greeting. It was none other than Sarah Haven, the Guild Master of the Terra Riders. "Your Excellency, I am interested in your offer," Sarah said. "My Guild and I will head to the Earldom of Ravencourt if you promise to answer my question honestly." "Only one question?" "Yes, only one question, your Excellency." Kei nodded his head. "Ask your question." Sarah narrowed her eyes and used [Telepathy]. {The young lady standing next to you. The one with blond hair and scarlet eyes,} Sarah glanced at Shino with a smile. {Is she the former Core of the Dungeon of Greed?} Kei raised his head to look at the heavens. He was tempted to say ''No'', but he gave a promise and the promise of an Overlord carries weight. He stood their gazing at the sky as if the clouds passing by were beautiful ladies waving at him. He neither affirmed nor denied anything. "I like men with principles." Sarah said while sighing. "I, Sarah Haven, humbly accept the invitation of the Fourth Son of Ravencourt." Kei''s body trembled. He looked at Sarah with a look of confusion. The latter smiled and gave him a wink. "Please take good care of me, and my guild, handsome young master." Kei''s jaw dropped at the playful look that Sarah gave him. There was a subtle invitation hidden behind the words and Kei understood her intentions. He grinned at her and didn''t notice the two hands that landed on his waist. A sudden pain brought him out of his daze when the two hands pinched and twisted the side of his waist with a vengeance. Kei almost yelled out loud, but managed to hold it in just in time. "Master, there was an insect. I killed it for you" "Handsome young master, please be more careful from now on¡­" Kei''s body went stiff. He didn''t dare turn his head to look at the two ladies beside him. He focused his attention on Sarah and cleared his throat. "I am very happy to welcome you and your guild to Ravencourt. I will do my best to assist you in any way that I can." Sarah didn''t reply but covered her lips with a hand. The slight tremble on her shoulders was enough to tell anyone that she was trying to hold back her laughter. She gave Kei another wink before turning her head. Her men followed behind her and left the Estate. Only the members of the Harkon Brigade remained and Kei was very interested in hearing their reply. "The Harkon Brigade will head off towards the Earldom of Ravencourt after we make the necessary preparations," Jack Megan, the Guild Master of the Harkon Brigade said with a smile. "Handsome young master, we are in your care from now on." "I promise you that you will not regret your decision," Kei said. The two shook hands to finalize their agreement. Kei was smiling ear to ear when all the adventurers left the estate. Although he didn''t manage to get all the guilds in Amaranth to explore the dungeon in their Earldom, he was very satisfied with the results. Later that night, two jealous hug pillows ignored Kei and left him alone to sleep. It was their way of protesting his fickleness. Kei helplessly shook his head and lie down on the bed alone. It was one of the coldest nights he experienced during his travels away from home. 25 The Price He has to Pay "I''ll leave Amaranth in your very capable hands," Kei said. "Don''t let me down Nicholas." Nicholas Roge, the Branch Manager of the Roge Merchant Guild, who was once stationed in the City of Aster bowed his head to pay respect to his new employer. "Sir, are you sure you want me to be the Mayor of Amaranth?" "Are you saying that I made the wrong decision?" The merchant rubbed his hands together and chuckled. "Sir, I''ll be completely honest. When I first met you, I never thought we would be seeing each other so soon. [A/N: Nicholas is the merchant that Kei met in Chapter 2] "Indeed, Lady Fate is such a fickle lady," Kei said while gesturing for Nicholas to come closer. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Make sure to complete my request as soon as possible," Kei whispered. Nicholas nodded. "I will not let you down, handsome young master." The two chuckled and gave each other a knowing look. Kei couldn''t stay in the City of Amaranth because there were pressing matters that he had to attend to. When the deed of the city was handed to him, he immediately sent a letter to the Roge Merchant Guild requesting that Nicholas be sent to Amaranth to hold the position of Mayor. The Merchant Guild was more than happy to comply. They even had the plan to drag Nicholas to the City of Amaranth tied in chains if he doesn''t agree to Kei''s invitation. It''s a good thing that the fat merchant was quick witted and immediately understood the prospects of being a Mayor of the City. Even though Amaranth lost its dungeon, it doesn''t mean that the city had lost its only means of livelihood. Merchants were experts when it comes to trade and gaining profit. Kei understood this and with his plans to develop Amaranth he needed someone that was cunning and flexible at the same time. Tifa appeared beside Kei and respectfully bowed her head. "Handsome young master, the carriage is ready." "Mmm, good job. I''ll be there shortly." "Understood, handsome young master." Tifa took a step back and returned to the carriage. Kei took a small box from his storage ring and gave it to Nicholas. The merchant carefully opened it and saw a crystal inside. He recognized it as a long distance communication crystal. He closed the box and waited for Kei''s instruction. "If anything happens, contact me immediately," Kei said. "Also, pay special attention to the movement of ''that'' person." "You can count on me, handsome young master." The two of them bid their final farewell and Kei climbed the carriage. Shino followed behind him and sat by his side. Tifa and Milfa, on the other hand, were handling the carriage. Their next destination was the City of Freyport. They would be meeting Kei''s best friend, Little John, and his sister, Little Daisy. Kei looked at the scenery outside the window while deep in thought. He still needed to inform his parents and his fiance about his decision. It might take some time for them to accept it, but he hoped that they would eventually give him their blessings. Shino rested her head on his shoulder while the latter held her waist. The two of them had become close in the few days that they had been together. Kei had accepted Shino and Milfa as his lovers and the three of them had an agreement. He knew that if he doesn''t accept her, Grandma Sophie would make a fuss when she woke up. There was also the fact that he didn''t dislike Shino. She was a very sweet girl and she was very attentive to his needs. Kei glanced at the beautiful young lady beside him. She was like a porcelain doll with her pale complexion and silky blonde hair. He wasn''t able to resist and patted her head. Shino, on the other hand, gave him a hug and snuggled closer. Their journey was uneventful, but Kei didn''t mind. He was a person that preferred peace instead of conflicts. If he was given a choice, he would rather spend his time traveling the continent and seeing the wonders of the world. Unfortunately, there was a great unrest within the Kingdom and his family needed him. Shino suddenly felt Kei lean on her. She raised her head to see that Kei had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply. "Master?" She tried to gently tap his cheeks in order to wake him up, but Kei didn''t respond. Milfa''s anxious voice was heard outside the carriage. "Did he fall unconscious?" "Yes," Shino replied. "Let''s travel for a little while longer," Tifa said. "We will pitch camp once we find a suitable location." Shino didn''t respond and gently laid Kei''s head on her lap. There was a sad look on her face and her scarlet eyes had a tinge of guilt in them. Grandma Sophie told her that Kei would ''faint'' without warning for the next two to three months as one of the side effects of unlocking the last seal. His body physique had degenerated; and his lifespan was sucked out of him. Kei would also lose some of his memories as compensation for tapping into the powers of Exceed Break. The last time he used its power, he lost all his memories about his parents and his mother cried for days because of it. She became overprotective of him and spoiled him rotten as if to make up for the memories that were lost. It had been a year since then and Kei still felt sad about the memories he had lost. He could tell how much his parents loved him; especially his mother. However, if time were to turn back again, he would have made the same decision. After all, he did it to save the life of his precious little sister, Chloee. The only daughter of the Earl of Ravencourt. 26 Fated Encounter Part 1 Tifa and Milfa found a good spot to make camp and made the necessary preparations. Shino was with Kei and made sure that he was sleeping comfortably. She ordered Luke and Lily to scout the surrounding area to see if there were bandits that lurked within the forest. After a few minutes, the two returned and gave their report. {Mistress, aside from a few Spirit Beasts there are no other creatures that pose any threat to our party.} {Mistress, should we continue to scout or should we remain here and guard the camp?} "Good work the two of you," Shino replied. "Please guard our camp. I give you permission to subdue any threat that comes our way." {As you command, Mistress!} The two disappeared and Shino resumed her duty of watching over Kei. A soft rustling was heard and Milfa walked over carrying two bowls of soup. "How is he?" Milfa asked. Shino accepted the bowl of soup that Milfa offered. "Still the same." Milfa sat beside Kei and caressed the side of his face. Her hand moved upwards to gently brush the white strands of hair on his head with her fingers. "Are you not going to ask me what happened inside the dungeon?" Shino asked. "No." "You''re not curious?" Milfa raised her head to look at Shino. "Since the young master didn''t tell me anything that means that he doesn''t want me to know." Shino stared at Milfa and the two ladies nodded both their heads in understanding. They quietly ate their dinner and resumed their vigil. Shino laid down beside Kei and decided to start a conversation. "Can I ask you a question?" Milfa gently poked Kei''s cheek and felt its roughness. "Go ahead." "How did you and your sister met Master?" "That is a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?" "Yes, please!" Milfa laid down beside Kei as well and snuggled close to him. If Kei was awake, he would be smiling ear to ear knowing that two beauties were by his side. "It all started eight years ago," Milfa said. "The young master was only ten years old at that time and we were twelve." Milfa closed her eyes as if trying to recall that fateful day that changed their lives forever. "Our village was attacked by a group of bandits and all the people were killed except for the women and children¡­" ----------------- "Tifa! Milfa! Run!" An old man with graying hair hacked a bandit using a broadsword. "No! We will stay with you Grandpa!" Tifa insisted with all her might. "Listen to me!" Their Grandpa said while looking at her in the eye. "Take your sister and leave the village! No matter what happens, don''t look back and run!" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Grandpa! Come with us!" Milfa cried while grabbing his hand. "Let''s run together!" The old man hugged the two of them and kissed their foreheads. "I will only drag the two of you down. I will stay here along with the other adults to give all of you time to escape." "You are the oldest, so take care of your sister," Their Grandpa said while taking out a storage bag and gave it to Tifa. "No matter what happens, don''t let them find you or else the two of you will suffer miserably because of your bloodlines." "Our bloodlines?" "Yes, the two of you have¡­" A loud shout was heard outside the house and the sound of weapons clashed not far away. "Go! Take the hidden passage!" Their grandpa said as he ran outside the house without looking back. ''Goddesses, please have mercy on my grandchildren I beg of you!'' "No! Grandpa!" Milfa wailed and tried to run after him, but Tifa grabbed her waist and dragged her to the hidden passage. "We have to go!" Tifa said with tears flowing down her face. "Don''t let Grandpa''s sacrifice be in vain!" Milfa bit her lip and unwillingly nodded her head. The twins entered the hidden passage and closed the entrance firmly behind them. It was dark, but they had used it so many times in the past that they could navigate their way in the darkness. A few minutes after they left the door was smashed open and a burly man carrying a great axe came in. He observed the scene in front of him and sniffed the air. "Two rats were able to escape," The burly man said while looking at the entrance of the hidden passage. A woman carrying a staff appeared beside him. "The fighting force of the village has been subdued, but there were a few children that managed to run away," the woman with the staff said with a smile. "This village is a treasure trove for hidden bloodlines. Although we lost half of our men, the gains were worth it." "Did you find anyone with the bloodline of the Vanari in them?" "No. There were rare bloodlines, but none had the bloodline of Myths." The man with the great axe turned his head. "Release the hounds, let''s try to get as many stragglers as we can." "Very well." ----------------- "We have reached the end," Tifa said while tapping the walls of the passageway. Her hands were able to touch a lever and she gave it a tug. The sound of a wall sliding open was heard and light broke through the darkness. The exit of the hidden passage was a cave that was a mile away from their village. The twins ran out from the cave and immediately headed to the forest. They knew that they were still in danger and their only hope was to reach the nearest town of Veritas. "Do you think Grandpa is safe?" Milfa asked. "Yes," Tifa said. "Grandpa is strong, he will be able to protect himself." Both of them knew that they were lying to themselves, but they still held to that small ray of hope. Tired and hungry, the two of them made their way to the forest while their pursuers where hot on their trails. 27 Fated Encounter Part 2 "Milfa, just hang on for a little bit longer." "Don''t worry about me, Sister. I can still go on." The twins had been running for more than two hours inside the forest while heading to the direction of the Town of Veritas. Their Grandpa allowed them to accompany him once a month whenever he went to the town to buy some supplies for the village. So, they were familiar with the path they needed to take. Tifa knew that her sister was nearing her limit so she made a gesture with her hands. Milfa nodded and the two climbed the biggest tree in front of them. They rested for a few minutes while listening to the sounds of the forest. Aside from the occasional roars of Spirit Beasts the forest was peaceful. "Eat this for now," Tifa said while passing some dried meat to her sister. "We will rest for a short while then we will continue our journey." Milfa accepted the meat and ate in silence. Her sister passed her a waterskin and she drank in small sips. She looked back at the direction of their village and saw smoke rising in the distance. "Sister, do you think they sent someone to pursue us?" Milfa asked. Her voice and body language did not mask her anxiousness. Tifa stared at her younger sister and nodded her head firmly. "Although I have no evidence, I''m very sure they will not give up so easily." Milfa sighed helplessly. "Sister, let''s go." "Have you recovered?" "A bit, but we can''t stay here for long or they might catc-" Sounds of barking sounded in the distance and the two of them froze for a second before immediately descending the tree in haste. They only knew of one creature who could make that sound and it terrified them. "Spirit hounds!" Tifa said while running. "They have a powerful magician in their ranks." "There are at least a dozen of them. We can''t outrun them sister!" "Follow me!" Tifa remembered that there was a river not far from their location and headed to that direction. Soon the two arrived at a small cliff overlooking a raging river. It was at least ten meters deep and the current was moving fast. Milfa gulped because she understood her sister''s intention. The sound of the barking was getting closer and they knew that they had no other option. "Milfa, are you ready?" "Yes!" "At the count of three. One, two, three, JUMP!" The twins jumped unto the river and the barking of the spirit hounds was drowned out by its raging fury. They were carried away by the current and they had to use all their strength to keep themselves afloat. The river was unforgiving and the two gritted their teeth in order to survive. Time passed swiftly and the two of them were exhausted. Their bodies felt numb due to the cold and their teeth were chattering non-stop. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. When they thought that their situation couldn''t get any worse, they heard a loud roar in front of them. A soft cry of despair escaped Milfa''s lips as she realized that they finally reached the river''s end. It was a waterfall and the two of them no longer had any strength to resist. The only thing they could do was scream; and they screamed with all their might. Both of them closed their eyes as they fell with the gushing current. Tifa waited for the impact that would end her misery, but it never came. Instead she felt something warm enclose her in a protective embrace. She opened her eyes and saw a handsome man holding her in a princess carry. She thought that she died and this was the afterlife so she decided to ask the man for confirmation. "Is this the afterlife?" Tifa asked. The handsome man looked down at her with a confused expression. "Afterlife? What are you talking about older sister?" "Afterlife, the place where the dead go?" "Oh, I don''t know where that place is, but can living people go there?" "Pfft!" A peal of laughter escaped her lips and Tifa laughed. It was a very hoarse laugh and the man carrying her frowned. "Sister? Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" "I''m fine," Tifa replied. "Your face just looks so silly that I wasn''t able to..." A sudden realization made her shudder and she looked around in panic. "Milfa! Where are you?! Answer me!" "Hey sister! Stop moving! Or you will fall!" "My sister!" Tifa said while panicking. "Where is she?!" "Your sister? Ah, her?" The handsome man looked at a direction not far away from them. "Oi! Kei! Did you manage- Pffft!" The handsome man laughed and Tifa glanced at the direction were he was looking at. Not far away, a young boy was sprawled on the riverbed with her sister on top of him. "Ah! Little John! Help me ah! This girl is heavy ah!" The handsome man laughed one more time, and this time, he laughed so loud that Tifa had to cover her ears. "What kind of man are you? You can''t even carry a girl?!" "I''m just a boy ah! Not a man ah!" the young boy replied with a depressed expression. "She''s heavy ah! Like a pig ah! Help ah!" Milfa was unconscious and was not aware of the insults that were coming out of the mouth of her savior. If she was awake, she would had slapped the young boy silly and yelled, "Who are you calling heavy ah! I''m light ah! You are the pig ah!" The handsome man walked towards the young boy and her sister in large strides. It was then that Tifa realized that the man holding her was over 4 meters tall. "A giant¡­" "My name is not a giant. My name is Little John." 28 Fated Encounter Part 3 Milfa screamed as they neared the waterfall. She looked at her sister and found her trying to reach out to her. She stretched out her hand, but Tifa was a few meters ahead of her. She watched helplessly as her older sister fell on the waterfall right before her eyes. "Sister, don''t worry I''ll be with you soon." Milfa said as a tear fell from her eye. ''Sorry Grandpa, we failed.'' Those were her last words before she fell face first in the waterfall. She closed her eyes and surrendered herself to her fate. She estimated that the height of the waterfall was over a thousand meters. Halfway down the waterfall, she heard a youthful voice that was carried by the wind. "Glide like there''s no tomorrow, leave behind all the pain and sorrow." "Give us the power of flight, aid us in our current plight!" [Zephyr!] Not long after, she felt something grab her waist and playful voice of a boy whispered in her ears. "Hang on tight." Milfa forcefully opened her eyes and saw a young boy that looked similar to a goblin grinning at her. She instinctively knew that it was a ''human'', and she hugged him as if her life depended on it. "Don''t worry, you''re safe now." The young boy said. They floated down the waterfall and Milfa felt her consciousness fading from the relief and exhaustion that she had experienced. She unconsciously hugged the young boy tighter which made him yell in pain. "Sister! Not so tight! I can''t breathe!" Milfa wasn''t able to hear his voice as the darkness caught her in its embrace. The young boy gritted his teeth and softly landed on the riverbed. The moment his feet landed, Milfa''s weight pinned him down and he fell unto the ground. He tried to push her away, but she held him in a death grip. "Sister! Wake up!" The young boy gently tapped her cheeks, but nothing happened. ''Why are you so heavy? Are girls supposed to be this heavy?'' The young boy didn''t know that her clothes was made from a special material that was as sturdy as a leather armor. The only downside was that it gets heavier when soaked in water. He was gasping for breath when he heard a voice not far away from him. "Oi! Kei! Did you manage- Pffft!" Kei looked at his best friend who was laughing at his misfortune. He was holding a girl in a princess carry that looks similar to the one that was on top of him. "Ah! Little John! Help me ah! This girl is heavy ah!" Little John''s reply was another round of laughter. "What kind of man are you? You can''t even carry a girl?!" "I''m just a boy ah! Not a man ah!" Kei said. "She''s heavy ah! Like a pig ah! Help ah!" Little John walked over in large strides, and Kei even heard him introduce himself to the girl he was carrying. "My name is not a giant. My name is Little John." Kei watched him carefully helped the girl stand on her own before going to his aid. Little John looked at the current situation and scratched his head. "I''m afraid I can''t help you Kei." "Why?" "She is holding unto you too tightly. I might break her bones if I used too much force to separate the two of you." The other girl approached Kei and looked at her sister anxiously. "I''m sorry, she has this habit to hold on tight to something when she''s feeling scared." "What''s your name sister?" Kei asked. "My name is Tifa, and the one holding you is my little sister Milfa." "So this pig sister is called Milfa." "Pfft!" Tifa covered her lips with both of her hands. This was the second time she laughed after escaping their village and she felt the relief and exhaustion wash over her. She fainted and fell on top of her sister. "Nooooo!" Kei screamed. "Little John Help! I''m gonna die! Help!" Little John chuckled and carried the unconscious Tifa away. "I''m afraid you need to stay like that until she wakes up." "At least, bring me back to our camp. I can''t stay here." "Alright." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Little John picked up Kei and Milfa like a sack of grain and carried them on his shoulder. He placed Tifa on his other shoulder and headed towards their camp. ------------------------ Three hours later¡­ Milfa slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a goblin drooling in his sleep. The gears on her head started to turn and she realized that she was holding unto him. She hastily released him and pushed him away. The young boy rolled off the bed and banged his head on the floor. "Ouch! What?! Where?!" The young boy said in surprise. "What''s Happening?!" Kei grudgingly stood up and looked at the girl who was still in the bed looking anxiously at him. "Who are you?" Tifa asked. "Where am I? Where is my sister?!" "First and foremost, please calm down sister. I''m not a bad person. Do you want a lollipop?" Kei said. "Mine is long, sweet and delicious! If you taste it once you would be begging me for more." Milfa looked at the boy in front of him and remembered that he was the one who saved her. She blushed in embarrassment and averted her gaze. "I''m sorry for pushing you away." "Also, thank you for saving me," she added. The young boy scratched his cheek. "It''s fine. My name is Kei and you don''t have to worry about your sister. She''s safe." Milfa glanced at him and her face still had a tinge of redness. "Thank you, I promise to repay this kindness in the future." "You don''t have to do that." "No, I insist!" Kei was at a loss of words. He could see the sincerity in Milfa''s eyes so he decided to just talk about something else. "How did you and your sister end up falling in the waterfall?" "Th-That was¡­" Milfa wanted to tell the truth, but she doesn''t know if it would be appropriate to drag other people into their problem. While she was pondering on what to do next, the flap of the tent opened and she saw a familiar face. Milfa jumped off the bed and hugged her sister. "Sister, I''m glad you''re safe!" Tifa hugged her back and patted her head. Kei quietly left the tent. He knew that the two girls needs some catching up to do and he was tactful enough to give them space. A handsome young man was busy tending the fire and preparing their dinner. He was none other than Little John who returned to his normal form. He was only ten years old, just like him, and yet he was already six feet tall. The reason was because, Little John had the Titan Bloodline running through his veins. 29 Bloodline Hunters Part 1 "Oh, you''re finally awake Kei," Little John said with a smile. Kei sat beside him with a pout. "That pig sister pushed me out of the bed." Little John chuckled and handed him a stick of freshly grilled fish. "Careful, it''s hot." "Thank you." Kei blew and made sure that the fish was not too hot before taking a bite. A crisp sound followed as he chewed his food with gusto. "The food you make is really delicious! Is this really just grilled fish?" "It is." "Then why is it so delicious?" Little John took out a bottle from his storage bag and showed it to Kei. "I used the seasoning that my little sister gave me before we left on our trip." He beamed with pride as he mentioned his sister. Kei nodded his head in acknowledgement. Little John''s sister, Little Daisy, was an amazing cook. She was only nine years old, but her skill when it comes to cooking food would not lose to the master chefs of the kingdom. "Ai~ His future husband is going to be lucky," Kei said while eating his grilled fish with relish. "Huh? Are you saying that you''re not going to marry my sister?" Kei choked while eating his food and he thumped his chest in panic. Little John hurriedly gave him a waterskin and Kei drank in big gulps in order to push the food down his throat. "Pwah!" Kei massaged his chest and looked at Little John with a face that was suffering from injustice. Little John coughed and averted his gaze. "I''m serious you know." Kei didn''t pay attention to him and the two of them ate their dinner in silence. Little John was about to take his second helping of grilled fish when the sound of footsteps from behind caught their attention. The twins walked hand in hand in their direction. Little John gestured for the two of them to take a seat. The two girls sat properly and they were rewarded by two freshly grilled fish from the campfire. They gave their thanks and ate. The moment they sank their teeth on the fish they were awed by how delicious it was. The two ate with fervor because they were really hungry. Little John handed them a second helping and they happily accepted. When they were done, they stared at the campfire in silence. Kei lightly coughed to catch their attention. "Now, can you tell us what happened? Did the two of you fell on the waterfall by accident?" The twins glanced at each other before looking back at Kei. "We were being chased and had no other choice but to jump unto the river," Tifa said. "Can we stay with you for tonight? I promise that we will leave when morning comes." "Leave? Where will the two of you go?" Little John asked. Milfa tugged her sister''s clothes and Tifa nodded her head. She looked at Little John with a smile. "We will head to the town of Veritas," Milfa answered. "Our Grandpa will meet us there." "Oh? What a coincidence! We are also headed to the town of Veritas," Kei said. "Why don''t we all go together?" The twins trembled when they heard Kei''s suggestion. They didn''t know how to react to his good intentions. The two were worried that their pursuers might still be hot on their trail and they don''t want to involve their saviors to their problem. Little John sighed and took out a piece of wood. He then used a small knife and started to carve. "Are there perhaps bad guys after the two of you?" The twins didn''t reply, but their silence gave Kei and Little John the answer they were looking for. Suddenly, the silence of the night was broken by barking sounds from the distance. Tifa and Milfa immediately stood up. The two of them wanted to run away, but they couldn''t leave their saviors behind. They would never forgive themselves if anything bad happened to the two of them. The two unsheathed the daggers on their waist and waited. Little John glanced at Kei and the latter gave him a thumbs up. "Spirit Hounds," Kei said in amusement."The ones after the two of you are quite persistent." Tifa stood beside Little John. "Don''t worry, we won''t let anything happen to the two of you." Milfa positioned herself near Kei and looked anxiously at the darkness. The barking sounds were getting nearer. Little John stood from his seat and patted Tifa''s head. "I''ll handle this." "No! There''s too many of them." "You don''t have to worry," Kei said while taking another grilled fish from the campfire. "Even if there''s a hundred of them, they won''t stand a chance against Little John." Little John walked a few meters away from them. With every step he grew taller and the twins stared with mouths agape at his transformation. The six foot tall Little John was now over twenty meters tall. He casually grabbed a tree and uprooted it with ease. A few moments later, the spirit hounds appeared. Their eyes eerily glowed in the darkness and they growled fearlessly at Little John. "Need some help?" Kei asked. "No need, I can handle these small fries." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Alright. Go get them, Little John." With a deafening roar, Little John charged at the pack of spirit hounds and brandished the tree in his hands. With each swipe, tens of spirit hounds turned into particles of light. The ground shook as Little John went into a frenzy. Sounds of destruction echoed in the forest and everything that stood in his path were smashed to pieces. Kei cheered from the side while the twins have looks of disbelief on their faces. In just a span of three minutes all the spirit hounds have been eliminated. Little John casually walked back to their camp while the effect of his Titan form slowly faded. A handsome man standing six foot tall smiled at the two girls. "We will accompany the two of you to the town of Veritas tomorrow." Little John said. "Any complaints?" The twins shook their heads in unison. There was a slight blush on Tifa''s cheeks as she stared starry eyed at Little John. Milfa, on the other hand, looked at Kei and understood why he looked so calm. Kei noticed her staring at him and gave her a wink in return. "I know that I am good looking, but you don''t have to stare at me like that sister Milfa." Milfa stuck out her tongue for a few seconds before rolling her eyes at him. ''You look like a goblin and you still dare to call yourself handsome?'' She sneakily glanced at Kei one more time. ''I guess, you are kinda cute for a goblin.'' She was not aware that a tinge of red was creeping on her face. She was lucky that it was dark and Kei was not able to see her expression. Otherwise, he would have teased her again. 30 Bloodline Hunters Part 2 "Interesting¡­," the woman with the staff said while looking at her crystal ball. "Titan Bloodline, we caught a big fish." The man with the great axe moved closer to take a peek at her crystal ball. "We would be able to sell him for a good price." "Indeed. The boss will be pleased with such a specimen." "How about those two girls?" "There''s not much to tell. I didn''t see them use any abilities during the fight," the woman said. "Perhaps, they still haven''t awakened yet." The two looked at the map in front of them and tried to pinpoint the location of the battle. It was faint, but the woman was able to tell the general direction where her summoned creatures perished. The woman narrowed her eyes. "I see, it''s very close to the town of Veritas." "Oh? Then that will make things easier." "Indeed. I''ll send word to the boss." The man walked towards the window. He saw his men tying the women and children with enchanted ropes to ensure that none of them would be able to escape. He turned his head to look at the woman. "I want some of the Titan''s blood." "Greedy aren''t yah?" The man smiled and and headed to her direction. He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. "I need it." "Mmm, very well," the woman said while caressing his chest. "I''ll see what I can do." ---------------------- Kei, Little John and the twins were riding a carriage headed towards the town of Veritas. Little John and Tifa sat on the coachman seat while Kei and Milfa were on the passenger''s seat. "So you''re meeting your Grandpa in the town of Veritas right?" Kei asked. Milfa hesitated for a while before nodding her head. Kei didn''t say anything and looked outside the carriage window. It was a bit cloudy and the wind was cold. Kei closed his eyes and felt the humidity in the air. ''A storm is approaching.'' He returned his gaze to the anxious girl in front of him. "Where do you plan to meet your Grandpa?" "Th-That¡­" "Do you know the reason why you''re being chased?" "No." It was only a few hours since they left their camp and started their journey towards the town of Veritas. It will take them roughly six hours to reach their destination. Kei was trying to get as much information as he can from the sisters, but they only gave him vague answers. He sighed and scratched his head. The only thing he was sure of was that the twins were being chased and their pursuers were not ''ordinary'' people. The fact that they can use spirit hounds to track people makes them more dangerous. "Can I ask a question?" Milfa asked while staring at him with an amused expression. "Sure." "Are you a human or a goblin? Perhaps a goblin half breed?" "I''m human," Kei answered. ''Maybe.'' Milfa tilted her head. "You really look like a goblin, especially when you smile." "Hmp! Don''t you know that my smile can make babies cry from a hundred meters away?" "Wow! Is that true?" "Yes," Kei said and nodded his head firmly. "That is how amazing I am." Kei chuckled and began to tell her about his adventures with Little John. Milfa listened to his story and forgot about their current plight. Six hours passed by and they finally arrived at the town of Veritas. They entered the gate that was reserved for the nobles. The guards didn''t stop them which surprised the twins. Little John maneuvered the carriage inside the city and headed to an inn called the ''Robin''s Hood''. It was the most popular inn in Veritas and Kei decided to stay there for a while. "It would be best if the two of you stay with us until you meet with your Grandpa," Kei said. "I''ll get three rooms. You and your sister can share a room." "You really shouldn''t bother," Tifa replied. "We can find an inn for ourselves." Milfa nodded her head. "We have money." Kei chuckled and raised his chin in arrogance. "I have more money than the two of you combined." The two girls were at a loss on how to proceed with their conversation. They argued with Kei, but in the end he managed to convince the two of them. They grudgingly accepted his generosity and the four went inside the inn to book some rooms. Unknown to them, a man was watching them from a parked carriage across the street. "Oh the irony!" the man said. "For my targets to enter my base of operation on their own is truly an interesting twist of fate." He took out a crystal ball from his storage ring and smirked. "Come to Veritas, our guests have arrived." "Yes, My Lord." "Did you find a suitable candidate?" The woman on the crystal ball smiled. "Yes. We will be arriving before the sun sets My Lord." "Very well. We will proceed with our plan as soon as you arrive." the man said. "Make haste." "As you command." The man returned the crystal ball to his storage ring and stepped down from the carriage. He leisurely entered the inn and walked towards the manager. The manager saw him and immediately bowed his head to pay his respect. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The man gestured for the man to come closer and whispered something in his ear. At first the manager was surprised, but he nodded his head. The man climbed the stairs and headed to the VIP room of the inn. He need to make the necessary preparations in order to welcome his guests with open arms. 31 Bloodline Hunters Part 3 "This room is pretty decent," Kei said. "As expected of the best inn in Veritas." He sat on the bed and closed his eyes. Kei like to meditate when he was tackling a problem that needs immediate action. He sat there for half an hour before a knock on the door brought him out of his stupor. "Come in." The door opened and Little John entered the room. He has a frown on his face and Kei knew that something was wrong. "Something doesn''t feel right," Little John said. "This feeling, I''ve felt this before." Kei made a gesture and Little John nodded his head. The two of them took out identical bracelets from their storage bags. This was an invention that was made by Little John''s father. It was an artifact that allows two people to talk via telepathy. However, Its effective range was only 5 meters. Little John''s father called it a failure because he was aiming for something that could be used to communicate with each other from great distances. Although it was deemed as a failure, it was more than enough for the two young boys to talk without worrying about others overhearing their conversation. {Explain,} Kei said. {What do you mean that you have felt this feeling before?} {Do you remember ''that'' time before we met?} {That time, are you saying¡­} Little John crossed his arms on his chest and looked at him seriously. {We may be dealing with those kinds of people.} {Bloodline Hunters,} Kei clicked his tongue. In his mind, Bloodline Hunters were all scum that should be wiped out from the face of Eleison. They started as a bandit group and later became an organization that spanned the entire continent. They were always looking for rare bloodlines and they sell them at the black market. Some of their captives were turned to slaves, others were used as experimental subjects. However, there were some hunters that took things to the extreme and ''collect'' the true bloodlines from the bodies of their captives. The process of blood extraction was a very painful one and only one end awaits those who were unlucky enough to fall in their hands. A slow and painful death. At most, they would be able to collect a few drops and they will sell it to the highest bidders. Those who acquired these rare bloodlines used it to create abominations that only obeys their command. {If what you say is true then this is going to be very troublesome.} Kei pinched the bridge of his nose. A sigh escaped Little John''s lips. {Kei, we need a plan.} The two talked for more than an hour and Little John left the room with a troubled expression. Kei, on the other hand, left the inn and went to the Adventurer''s Guild of Veritas. Unknown to the two of them, Tifa and Milfa were having a very important discussion in their own room. "What do we do sister?" Milfa asked. "Should we leave without telling them?" Tifa sighed. She knew that they couldn''t stay with the two boys who saved them, but where should they go? What should they do? There were many questions on her mind, and the answers were nowhere to be found. "For now, let''s wait," Tifa said. "We''ll decide on our next move when morning comes.'' Milfa nodded her head. She knows what her sister was thinking, and the only thing she could do was trust her. "The sun would set in an hour. I wonder what that little goblin is doing," Milfa muttered absentmindedly. Tifa heard her sister''s careless words and smiled. "Do you like him?" "Huh? Like who?" "Like Kei." "Wh-What do you mean?" Milfa said while stuttering. "Who would like someone like him?" Tifa covered her lips with a hand and suppressed her laughter. Milfa pouted and pinned her down on the bed. The two rolled on the sheets and their laughter reverberated in the room. Milfa lightly pinched her older sister on the cheek. "Don''t think that I don''t know that you''re interested in Little John." "I am interested in him." "Because he is handsome?" "Yes, very handsome," Tifa replied while grinning. "How about your little goblin? Why do you like him?" Milfa blushed and averted her gaze. "I don''t know." "You don''t know?" "He make me feel safe for some reason." Tifa raised an eyebrow at her sister''s reply. There were a few boys back in their village that likes her sister, but she just ignore them. ''Makes her feel safe¡­'' Tifa thought about the young boy who looks like a goblin. Indeed, there was something about him that was different from the other boys she had met in their village. He has a certain charm that was hard to describe. The way he moves, the way he talks, the way he presents himself. Tifa''s lips curled into a smile because she found the reason why Milfa was smitten with Kei. ''Confidence. That boy is radiating an aura of confidence.'' "Why are you smiling sister?" Milfa asked. "Don''t tell me that you like him too?" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Who knows? Kei is cute so¡­" "No! You can''t like hi-" Milfa covered her mouth with her hand. She was surprised that she raised her voice against her sister. For some reason, the thought of her sister liking Kei made her heart ache. ''Is this jealousy?'' Milfa thought. ''I''m jealous of my sister?'' Tifa was taken aback by her sister''s sudden outburst. This was the first time she acted like this and it was because of a boy. ''It seems that she likes him more than I thought.'' Milfa fell sideways on the bed and covered her face with her hands. She was blushing and she doesn''t want her sister to see her face. Tifa knew that now was not the right time to poke the hornet''s nest and let her sister be. Sounds of knocking was heard on their door and Tifa approached it carefully. "Who is it?" "Sorry to disturb you our esteemed guests," the manager of the inn said. "Dinner is ready. Would you like to have them in your room or would you rather have them in our inn''s dining room?" Tifa opened the door and looked at the manager. "There were two boys with us¡­" "Two boys?" the manager said with a frown. "There was only this handsome man in the dining room. I believe his name was John or something." "Little John." "Ah! Yes, it was young master Little John," the manager said. "The young boy that came with the three of you left the inn a short while ago." Milfa approached the door and stood beside her sister. "He left?" "Yes. I don''t know where he went, but he''ll probably be back soon." "Very well, we will follow you to the dining room." The twins followed the manager to the inn''s dining room reserved for special guests and marveled at how luxurious it was. Little John waved at the two of them. "Let''s eat. I''m hungry." Tifa sat beside Little John while Milfa sat across them. "Where is Kei?" Milfa asked. "There are a few things that he need to take care of," Little John answered. "Don''t worry he''ll be back soon." Little John gestured for the manager to serve the meal. The staff of the hotel moved efficiently and soon the table was laid out with delicious dishes. They left after finishing the task leaving only the manager behind. "Please enjoy your meal," the manager said. "Call for me if you need anything else." He bowed to the three of them before leaving the room. "Let''s dig in." Little John said while heaping piles of food on his plate. The twins were more reserved, but they chose the dishes that looked delicious. The three ate their dinner until they were full. Meanwhile¡­ "It''s been half an hour. Let''s check on them." "Yes, My Lord." the lady with the staff bowed to the man in front of him. The two of them went to the inn''s dining room. When they opened the door they saw the twins and Little John collapsed on the floor. The man smirked and caressed Milfa''s cheeks. "What a very beautiful girl," the man said without looking at the woman. "I will train these girls as my personal maid servants." The woman with the staff didn''t say anything and passed down two black collars to the man. The man gently clasped the collar on Milfa''s neck and did the same to Tifa. When he was done, he pricked his fingertip until blood started to come out. He smudged his finger on the two collars and it glowed bright red. "Sleep my little darlings," the man said affectionately. "The moment the two of you wake up, your new lives will begin." 32 Awakening Part 1 Milfa felt cold, it was as if her body was submerged in water. Her consciousness were starting to return and she could vaguely feel someone caressing her body. She opened her eyes and saw her sister Tifa fondling her body here and there. Her eyes opened wide when she realized that the two of them were naked and inside a big bathtub. "Sister?" Tifa continued to move her hands as if she didn''t hear her. Milfa could tell that her sister was washing her body, but for some reason she felt that something was amiss. She looked at her sister''s face and what she saw scared her. Her sister''s eyes were lifeless. She was like a doll moving without a soul. "Oh, so you''re finally awake?" Milfa shivered when she heard a voice that she was not familiar with. She turned her head to look at the source and saw a man that seems to be in his early thirties sitting on a couch looking at her with an amused expression. "Who are you?" Milfa asked. "Me?" the man chuckled. "I am the most important person in the world to you." "Wh-What are you talking about?!" "Oh you will understand soon. No need to hurry, for now enjoy the love and affection that your sister will give you." The man waved his hand and Tifa ceased her actions, she then lowered her head and kissed Milfa on the lips. Milfa''s first reaction was to push her away, but she was surprised when she discovered that she could not move her body. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Do you understand now?" the man said while raising his hand. Tifa stopped kissing her and Milfa was finally able to catch her breath. Milfa yelled in anger. "What did you do to my sister?!" She glared at the man. She could not accept the fact that he was manipulating her sister like a puppet and her sister was unable to resist. "Your sister was pretty stubborn, so I had to reinforce a command to make her submit," the man said. "Look at her, isn''t she very obedient right now?" "Damn you!" The man smirked. "I like stubborn girls. The satisfaction of making them submit is second to none." "My sister will never submit to the likes of you! What did you do to her?!" "Indeed. Your sister is strong willed and was not willing to submit..." The man made a gesture and Tifa moved away from her. She walked towards the man. Her youthful body that was wet from the bath glistened from the candle light. She sat on his lap and rested her head on his chest. "That''s why I used my authority as her ''master'' to make her obey my will." The man gently caressed her sister''s face while looking at Milfa. "Don''t worry, you will be like your sister soon enough." "I would never sub-" Milfa wasn''t able to finish her sentence because her body stood up from the bathtub on her own. She took a step, then another and headed to the direction where the man was seated. Milfa used everything in her power to take back the control on her body, but it was for naught. She stood straight in front of the man she hated while the latter used his hand to caress her face. "See? With a mere thought I can make you do whatever I want, and you will have no choice but to obey." "What did you do to us?" Milfa asked while fighting back the tears that were about to fall. "You still don''t understand?" The man pointed at the collar on Tifa''s neck then pointed at her neck. "You and your sister are my slaves. I am your master and thus the most important person in the world to you." A tear fell followed by another. The man caught it with his finger and licked it. "Your tears are delicious my dear, but you don''t have to be sad." he made a gesture and Tifa stood up. The man spread his leg and Tifa sat on his right leg. He looked at Milfa and made her sit on his left leg. The two girls were forced to rest their heads on his shoulders while his hands caressed their body. "I will make sure to properly train the two of you to the point that you will not be able to live without me." Milfa felt disgusted as the man fondled her body. She wanted to shout, she wanted to attack him, but no matter what she does, her body refused to listen. She looked at her sister and understood that she was also suffering. "It''s really a pity that both of you are far too young," the man said and sighed softly. "If only the two of you were a few years older, I would have enjoyed plucking your cherries." His hands stopped fondling their body and commanded the two of them to stand up. They obeyed his orders. The man took a bath towel and gently wiped their body. After finishing his task he walked out of the bathroom and the twins followed behind his back. "As long as you do as I say I will not treat you unfairly." He took out two night dresses for the two of them and made them wear it. The twins lied down on the bed. The man covered them with a blanket and kissed their foreheads. "There are a few things that I need to take care off," the man said. "Sleep. I will start your training when morning comes." The twins closed their eyes in unison. Even if they don''t want to sleep, they found their consciousness getting hazy and it wasn''t long before the two of them were sound asleep. The man looked at them one last time before leaving the room with a smile. He needed to check the other ''goods'' that his men brought him. An auction would soon be held at the Central Empire of Sparta and he couldn''t miss the chance to form connections. Rare bloodlines was a currency that the rich and powerful always sought for. These men condemn their actions on the surface, but in the dark they were their most loyal customers. The man hummed a tune as he climbed the carriage that would take him to the outskirts of Veritas where their warehouse was located. He was feeling good of himself because he acquired many rare bloodlines and two beautiful girls that he could nurture to become his women. --------------------------- Back at the inn¡­ The window of the VIP room opened slightly and a boy entered after making sure that the coast was clear. He headed to the direction of the bed and looked at the twins that were sound asleep. {Grandma Sophie, it''s time.} {Poor girls.} Grandma Sophie sighed from within the ring. {Aiyo~ let the ring touch their collars.} Kei did as he was told and the ring glowed the moment it made contact with the slave collar. {It is as we feared. We are dealing with the Bloodline Hunters.} Kei looked at the twins with a sad face. {Grandma, do the rules still apply?} {Yes.} Kei patted Milfa''s head. "I''m sorry, but please hang on for a little bit longer." He stayed in the room for a few more minutes before leaving through the window. What he needed to do right now was to find Little John and wait for reinforcements to arrive. Dark clouds covered the night sky of Veritas. It was a prelude to one of the most unforgettable event in the history of Edelweiss. 33 Awakening Part 2 The man with the great axe paced the room with impatience. He kept on glancing at Little John and the desire in his eyes were too obvious that the woman with the staff shook her head helplessly. "You shouldn''t be too anxious, Amar," The woman with the staff said while tying Little John with an enchanted rope. "This boy is not going anywhere." Amar stopped his pacing and snorted. "I''ve been looking for the bloodline of the giant races for years. Mia, you should know more than anyone else how long I''ve waited for this day to arrive!" The woman sighed because she understood more than anyone else. However, they still have things to do and the blood extraction ceremony takes half a day to complete. "Be that as it may, you can''t touch him until the boss arrives. He already gave him to us as a reward, can''t you just wait a little bit longer?" The man resumed his pacing in the room. He understood that his partner was right, but the yearning to complete his own bloodline was making him restless. When he first started as a bloodline hunter, he discovered that he had the faint traces of the Cyclops bloodline. Although he had faint traces of the giant''s bloodline in his veins, it was not enough to awaken any of its ability. The only thing it did for him was strengthen his body and gave him the [Class B] body physique. Their organization had extensive knowledge about bloodline fusion and according to the records, similar bloodlines can fuse together in order to awaken the hidden powers of the bloodline. There was even a possibility that a new variant or mutation could take place which would give birth to a more powerful bloodline ability. For that to happen, he needed to acquire the blood of any of the giant lineage that was [Class A] or Higher. When the woman performed an initial test on their captive, she discovered that Little John has a [Class SR] bloodline. This information nearly drove Amar crazy. If Mia was not around, he would had already performed the blood extraction ceremony without care for the consequences! The sound of a carriage approaching snapped him back to his senses. He immediately approached the window to take a peek. When he saw the emblem on the carriage, he breathed a sigh of relief. Their boss has finally arrived and their business would soon be over. He made a gesture to the woman and the two of them left the room to meet their leader. A minute after they left Little John opened his eyes. ''Your insight is accurate as always Kei.'' He tested the bindings on his hands and feet and confirmed their tightness. ''That old witch sure knows how to tie her captives. It''s a good thing I''ve come prepared.'' Little John gently moved his tongue and held a small crystal bead the size of a bean between his teeth. He bit on it and his body was covered in crimson flames. The enchanted rope burned down, but his clothing remain unscathed. It was an invention that his father and Kei''s mother collaborated together and they called it the [Crimson Breaker]. It''s main purpose was to burn down anything that binds the user''s body. Once he was free, he tapped the bracelet on his hand twice. It gave off a small vibration and Little John knew that the message has been passed to his best friend. All he needed to do was wait. ------------------------- ''The outskirts of the city?'' Kei frowned. Since he received Little John''s signal, it means that he was safe for the time being. ''Should I act alone or should I wait for the reinforcement?'' {What do you think Grandma?} {I think, you''re about go get spooked.} {What do you mean about to get spoo-} Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. A seductive voice whispered in his ears. "What are you doing here little goblin boy?" Kei was caught off guard that he jumped of his feet in fright. He turned his head to look at the person behind him while his right hand held his chest. A beautiful lady wearing skimpy clothing winked back at him. Her long, dark brown hair swayed softly in the breeze. "Sister, you almost gave me a heart-attack!" Kei''s massaged his chest while looking at the woman with an aggrieve expression. The beautiful lady chuckled. Her laughter echoed in the quiet night and her emerald green eyes glowed as if to further tease him. "Auntie Ishtar, you shouldn''t scare me ah!" Kei said in distress. The lady''s laughter stopped and she took a step forward. Kei was about to run away when a hand grabbed his ear and pinched it. "Noooo, Auntie it hurts!" Kei yelped. "My ear ah! Stop ah!" The beautiful lady, Ishtar, pulled Kei''s ear in annoyance. "Who are you calling Auntie you little goblin?" "Auntie ah! Stop ah!" "You little twerp!" Ishtar moved her hands away from Kei''s ears and grabbed his cheek instead. She then pinched it hard which made Kei yell like a pig being slaughtered. "You dare call me Auntie when I''m just 8 years older than you?" Ishtar said while her free hand spanked Kei''s little bum. "Your mother had spoiled you rotten! Allow me to discipline you so that you will know how to respect beautiful ladies like me!" A few minutes passed and Kei was lying on the ground with tears flowing like a river. Ishtar looked at the distance and scoffed. "Did you enjoy the show?" Thirty men wearing capes suddenly appeared enclosing the two of them. "Ai~ the young miss sure is feisty." "The young master should know better than to annoy her." "Their family sure have a lot of hot tempered woman." "Still, to think that we would be dealing with those bloodline hunters. This makes my blood boil." Ishtar turned his head to look at the crying Kei near her foot. "Oi, we don''t have all night little goblin. You better hurry up and tell us where they are located." Kei wiped his tears and grudgingly stood up. "Aun- Sister, you shouldn''t be too hard on me ah! I''m your cousin ah!" Ishtar flicked his forehead with a finger. "Stop talking nonsense and guide us to their location!" The anger in her voice was clearly evident, but it was not due to Kei''s whining. It was her inherent hatred towards the bloodline hunters. Kei shut up and his face turned serious. He knew that they wasted enough time already with their bantering. He nodded his head and allowed Ishtar to carry him like a princess. "Little John is in that direction." Kei said with certainty. Ishtar flew to the sky and waved at his men. "Follow me." ""By your command, Young Mistress!"" Their group headed to the outskirts of Veritas with Kei guiding them to the right direction. They knew that a battle was eminent, but they were not afraid. Grandma Sophie chuckled within the Exceed Break. {Finally, It''s time for the hunters to become the hunted.} 34 Awakening Part 3 "What do you think, My Lord, Svein?" Mia asked as she stood respectfully by his side. Svein Arnar, is a [Bronze Rank] member of the Bloodline Hunters. His father holds a prestigious position within the organization and with his help, Svein managed to climb the ranks with ease to the chagrin of his older brothers. He joined the organization when he was only eighteen years old and chose the Kingdom of Edelweiss as his base of operation. That was fifteen years ago. Now, he holds the position and the power to back it up making him one of the rising stars within the Bloodline Hunters. "Excellent!" Svein clapped his hands in satisfaction. He smiled when he saw the number of captives in their warehouse and confirmed all of them possess rare bloodlines. ''With this I will be able to raise my rank when I return to the Central Empire of Sparta.'' "You managed to handle the operation perfectly Mia," Svein said. "What do you want as a reward?" Mia smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you for your praises, My Lord. All I ask is for you to give us the child with the Titan''s Bloodline." Svein chuckled. "Didn''t I say that he already belongs to you as a reward? What I want to know is if you want something else?" "For now, I am content with what I have, My Lord." "Very well. If you want something in the future just tell me." "Ah before I forget," Svein said while glancing at her direction. "The requirement to awaken the bloodline of those girls¡­" Mia raised her head. "My Lord, the requirement to awaken the bloodline of the Vanari is Love. They are a mythical race that wields the element of water and air. I believe that you, My Lord, can easily make those two girls fall in love in less than a half a year." "The race that was born from the love of two deities, or so the legend foretold." Svein''s eyes glowed with excitement. "I''ll make sure that the two of them would be begging for my love soon enough." Sounds of hurried footstep approached the two of them and a man wearing black clothing bowed his head to give a report. "Sir, we have intruders!" "What?!" Mia exclaimed in surprise. "How many?!" "We counted around twenty, but there could be more! All of them are experts and our men might not be able to hold them back for long!" Mia and Svein looked at each other. They both knew that this was not a coincidence. It was not easy to find their headquarters and there''s no way for someone to find them without alerting the sentries. Mia didn''t say anything and Svein frowned in contemplation. ''Was I followed?'' Svein narrowed his eyes. ''Impossible! The route I took was a secret path of the organization. Who could possibly find this place by accident?'' "Mia, intercept the intruders!" Svein said with a serious expression. "If you can''t handle them, make sure to escape using the hidden pathways. Let''s meet up in the town of Veritas." "By your command! My Lord, please escape as soon as you can!" Mia didn''t look back and ran towards the exit to deal with the intruders. Svein, on the other hand immediately went to the hidden passage located at the back of the warehouse. It was a secret tunnel that branches out to the town of Veritas. ''Damn! Why now of all time?!'' Svein cursed in his head as he made his way through the darkness. His eyes glowed bloody red which allowed him to use night vision. He was lucky enough to awaken the bloodline of the Lycanthrope during his coming of age ceremony and he put it to good use. This was also the reason why his father supported him using his influence. He had high hopes for Svein''s abilities and regarded him as his future successor. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Svein traversed the passage quickly and he estimated that he would be back in Veritas in an hour if he continued his pace. ---------------------------- Amar ran towards the direction of their cabin where Little John was located. When he heard about the intruders, the first thing he did was to go back and make sure that his captive was still tied up. Little John was more important to him than their organization and he ran like his life depended on it. He smashed the door open and a quick glance made him howl in rage. He waved his axe in frustration and was about to leave when he heard a voice coming from the ceiling. "Don''t worry, I''m right here!" A giant foot broke through the roof and stomped down on him. Amar was barely able to roll to the side when a second foot slammed down on him. He raised his guard, clenched his teeth, activated his defensive talisman and braced for the impact. His body was pinned down to the floor like a nail being hit by a hammer. The only reason why he didn''t turn into meat paste was because it was a higher grade talisman. Amar knew that this was the point of no return and the only thing he could do to preserve his life was to use as a last resort. Little John raised his foot to deliver the final blow. "Curse you!" Amar grabbed the pendant on his neck and activated the spell that was inside it. This was an ultimate spell that would drain half the user''s lifespan in exchange for forcefully awakening the bloodline in his body. "I''ll take you to hell with me!" Little John didn''t pay any heed to his words and stomped his foot in fury. He hated the bloodline hunters because this was not the first time that he was held captive by them. A few yeas ago, he and his sister Little Daisy also fell to their clutches when they were only six years old. His foot was about to smash the hunter into oblivion when a hand grabbed his foot. Amar roared and pushed the foot away causing Little John to fall down on the ground smashing the cabin along his path. Little John was surprised, but immediately stood up and raised his guard. Amar''s body turned dark blue and he grew in size. A serious expression on Little John''s head appeared as he saw Amar towered over him. A giant standing thirty meters tall looked down on him. It only had one eye, but the madness in them could not be denied. The twenty meter tall Little John stared at his opponent without fear. He took a battle pose and waited for his adversary to move. "I''ll make you pay you brat!" Amar in his Cyclops form bellowed. "I''ll drink your blood to the last drop!" Little John scoffed. "You want a piece of me? Come and get me!" 35 Clash of Titans Part 1 "Stay here little goblin." Ishtar had a crazed look on her face as she saw one his men snap the neck of a bloodline hunter. "I don''t have time to baby sit you right now." She didn''t even bother to hear his reply and joined the onslaught. She flew in the sky hurling fireballs to deal with the mages that were trying to defend the hunter''s stronghold. Kei watched in amazement on how beautiful her elder cousin was on the battlefield. He saw the moment her hair color changed to a scarlet red. Like a fire burning in the darkness that was out for blood and destruction. Her face held a sneer and her eyes showed no mercy. Ishtar was holding a scythe in her hand and her maddened laughter was enough to bring chills to anyone that heard it. "What a psychopath," Kei said. "I better not get on my Auntie''s bad side¡­" Kei observed the battlefield from afar. He knew that he would only get in the way if he joined the battle. However, he was worried about Little John and kept a lookout from the his vantage point on top of a tall tree. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air. He realized that it was the smell of human bodies burning, and he bit his lip in order not to vomit. He was still young, but he understood that bloodshed was inevitable. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The moment he asked for reinforcements he knew that this would be the outcome. Even so, it was the first time that Kei saw humans fought against each other and it unnerved him. He observed the bloodline hunter''s headquarters using a telescope. He was trying to find where Little John might be hiding. He accidentally saw a bloodline hunter''s head separate from his body with a swing of her elder cousin''s scythe. Kei almost fell from the tree when he saw that gruesome scene. He wasn''t able to stop himself from vomiting. Tears and snot were running down his face as he tried to regain his calm. "As expected, killing people is different from killing monsters." Kei wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He was still feeling nauseous and if he were given a choice, he''d rather just close his eyes and wait for everything to end. {Just stay here Kei,} Grandma Sophie''s voice has a tinged of pity in them. {This is too early for you. Let your Aunt find Little John in your stead.} {My Aunt is out for blood and she would only focus on killing people, not saving them.} Kei replied and shook his head. He was trying to chase away the scene he just witnessed from his mind. {I''m worried that she might accidentally identify Little John as her enemy.} {Now that you mention it, I think it''s possible for that to happen.} {My Aunt, she''s a bit crazy.} Grandma Sophie didn''t reply. She almost said the words "Your mother is scarier", instead she used her ability to try to pinpoint Little John''s location. {I found Little John,} Grandma Sophie said. {He''s alone in a cabin to the North East of the stronghold.} {Grandma, can you help me navigate through the fortress without anyone seeing me?} Grandma Sophie chuckled from within the ring. {Just who do you think I am? Back in my days they called me the "The Empress of the Battlefield." I brought fear to my foes and¡­} {My Empress Grandma can we talk about this some other time?} {Hmp! Kids these days don''t appreciate the glory of the past. Ai~ this generation is hopeless.} Kei didn''t want to argue with her so he coaxed her using sweet words and praised her for her greatness until Grandma Sophie was satisfied. {Let''s go Kei. Remember, do as I say without questioning me understand?} {Understood.} Kei sneaked into the fortress like a mouse. He had to stop from time to time, but his pacing was good. The Stronghold was rather large and he was amazed on how such a base had been built right under his father''s nose. There were hidden traps scattered everywhere, but they were not a match for Grandma Sophie''s detection. He listened to Grandma Sophie''s instruction perfectly. He almost scratched his head when she told him to steal a few treasures along the way. {Oh! That crystal necklace looks amazing! Ah! Are my eyes deceiving me? Is that Adamantium?! We''ve hit the jackpot!} Grandma Sophie''s excited laughter echoed within the ring. The Exceed Break glowed and sucked up all the treasures that they found within the Stronghold. {Grandma, are we looking for Little John or are we looking for treasures?} Kei asked. {Kei, Little John is safe for the moment,} Grandma Sophie said with certainty. {Since he is safe, why not take all the treasures as compensation for the trouble that these hunters had brought him and the girls?} Kei slapped his forehead. {You''re right Grandma! We need to make them pay for messing with us.} {That''s the spirit!} {Let''s go grandma! We need to loot everything before Auntie and her men arrive.} The two laughed like rotten bandits and proceeded to raid all the treasures inside the fortress. They took everything of value. Even a single copper coin was not able to escape their clutches! Grandma Sophie was paying attention to the surroundings when she noticed a surge of energy in the direction where Little John was located. {Kei, something happened,} Grandma Sophie said. {Little John changed to [Titan Form] and it seems that he''s fighting with someone.} {Let''s head there right now!} Grandma Sophie guided Kei and the two were only three hundred meters away from Little John''s location when the ground shook. Kei lost his balance and fell on his butt. He stood up immediately ignoring the pain and quickened his pace. He stumbled from time to time because the tremors were getting stronger. With Grandma Sophie''s urging, he finally arrived at his destination. His mouth went agape as he saw the scene in front of him. A giant with dark blue skin and a single eye on his head was fighting hand to hand combat with Little John. He could clearly see that his best friend was at a disadvantage and there was already blood running down the side of Little John''s mouth. 36 Clash of the Titans Part 2 Kei saw his best friend getting mercilessly pummeled by the Cyclops. Little John was doing his best to fight back, but a ten year old lacks the combat experience to fight a veteran hunter like Amar. A powerful kick on his chest sent Little John flying. The ground shook once more after he landed on the mountain at the back of the stronghold. Amar didn''t waste any time and ran after him. Kei almost growled in anger. {Grandma Sophie!} {Calm down Kei,} Grandma Sophie said with a calmness that resembled the peace before a storm. {The way you are now, you won''t be able to help anyone.} Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Kei closed his eyes and forcefully took deep breaths. His rage at seeing his best friend getting hurt burned in his heart and he wasn''t able to calm himself no matter what he does. Grandma Sophie sighed within the ring. ''You''re still too young, Kei. Your emotions is still raw and cannot be controlled. However, that is what I like about you.'' {Listen closely, Kei} Grandma Sophie said using a firm and confident tone. {We managed to get six magic scrolls when we looted the fortress. All of them were one time use spells, but you don''t have the mana capacity to release all of them.} Kei gritted his teeth in frustration. He understood that his body physique was not capable of using magic aside from scrolls that he got from his family. Grandma Sophie sorted out the magic scrolls within the ring. ''At most he can only use [Zephyr] and another lower tier spell, but that''s it.'' Her mind worked overtime to assess the situation. She knew that it would not be enough to turn the tide of battle, so she used her ability and scanned the surroundings. ''There must be something, anything that we can use¡­'' After a futile search, she returned her attention to the clash of the two titans. She can see that Little John was barely hanging on and it won''t be long before he was defeated. She then observed the Cyclops for any weakness and a realization struck her. ''A forced awakening?! Then this makes thing simple!'' The ring on Kei''s finger vibrated and Grandma Sophie''s voice resounded in his mind. {Listen to me Kei, that Cyclops has forcefully awakened itself. That means that he can''t stay in that form for a long time.} Kei narrowed his eyes. He has complete trust in Grandma Sophie''s deduction and waited for her instructions. {We don''t need to confront it head on. We just need to buy some time until the effect of the ''forced awakening'' wears off.} {Grandma, what you''re saying is¡­} A small astral projection of Grandma Sophie appeared on Kei''s shoulder. {That''s right. We just need to delay as much time as we can. Here is what we are going to do¡­} Kei listened patiently and didn''t question Grandma Sophie''s strategy. After she was done, he immediately went into action. He opened a magic scroll and chanted. "Glide like there''s no tomorrow, leave behind all the pain and sorrow." "Give us the power of flight, aid us in our current plight!" [Zephyr!] Kei flew to the sky and headed towards the direction of the two rampaging giants. Little John''s left arm was hanging loosely from his side and blood was flowing freely in different parts of his body. Without alerting their enemy, Kei sneaked behind the giant''s head and prepared a magic scroll in his hand. After a great deal of thought, Grandma Sophie decided that this was the most appropriate spell that they can use in this rescue operation. It was a low tier spell that can be used without any chants and that was what they needed right now. {Now!} Grandma Sophie shouted from Kei''s shoulder. Kei dropped down from the sky and headed towards the eye of the Cyclops. He didn''t give any warnings to Little John because the enemy might get wind of their exchange. He appeared right in front of the enemy and opened the magic scroll. [Solar Flare!] A blinding light erupted from the scroll illuminating the darkness of the night. The Cyclops howled in fury as it took a step back and randomly swiped in front of him. Little John was also caught up in the effect of the solar flare and stood immobile. Little John didn''t panic because he recognized the voice. He knew it was Kei who had come to help him. The familiar voice of his best friend whispered in his ears. "Return to your normal form." Little John didn''t hesitate and deactivated his Titan Form. He immediately returned to being six foot tall. He has a lot of wounds and a few broken bones in his body, but he was not afraid. For some reason, he felt safe whenever Kei was around. He didn''t know when this started or how it started. The only thing he knew was that no matter how dire the situation, as long as Kei was around, everything would be alright. He felt two small hands embraced his chest from behind and lifted him from the ground. "You''re heavy!" Kei said as he flew upwards. "You should consider taking a diet." Little John wanted to laugh, but he was hurting all over. He just smiled and closed his eyes and allowed his best friend to curse him as the two of them flew above the dark clouds that was hovering in the night sky of Veritas. Amar raged on the ground for a good five minutes before he was able to regain his sight. When he saw that Little John was no longer around the vicinity, he immediately activated another special ability of the Cyclops the [X-Ray Vision]. He scanned the stronghold looking for his target. When it yielded no results he looked at the sky. Amar was not stupid, he knew that the one who interfered with their fight could fly, so it was only natural to scan the skies. After a minute, he finally located his target. He roared and grabbed a large rock from the ground and hurled it in the air. {Kei go down!} Grandma Sophie ordered. Kei immediately descended and after a few seconds a strong "Wooosh!" was heard behind them. He didn''t bother to turn his head and check the object that barely missed them. He was afraid that he might loosen his grip on Little John''s body if he lost his concentration. {Move to the right!} {The Left!} {Go up!} Grandma Sophie gave a series of commands one after another as Kei narrowly dodged everything that Amar threw at them. The Cyclops was desperate, he could feel his body starting to collapse. In one last desperate attempt, he lifted a massive boulder and threw it with everything he has. The astral body of Grandma Sophie resting on Kei''s shoulder understood that there was no way they could evade this final blow that the Cyclops gave them. {Kei, brace yourself!} Grandma Sophie shouted and enclosed him in a protective barrier. A deafening sound was heard as the barrier and the boulder collided. The barrier shattered and the two children were propelled in the sky like a kite that lost its strings. Kei gritted his teeth as he firmly held unto Little John and his dear life. "Things can''t get any worse than this right?" Little John asked. "F*ck!" {F*ck!} Kei and Grandma Sophie cursed at the same time. Little John has this weird ability to [Raise Flags] and it brought them a lot of trouble in the past. As if waiting for that moment, the effect of [Zephyr] wore off and they fell towards the ground. Kei cursed his best friend while praying for a miracle to happen. "Me and my big mouth¡­" Was the last thing Little John said before he lost consciousness. 37 Clash of Titans Part 3 The two children fell from the sky and Grandma Sophie was powerless to help them. She''s only a spirit and she used most of her power to block the desperate attack of the Cyclops using a barrier. Kei saw the ground getting nearer and nearer. He was still thinking of ways on how to survive their predicament. After running out of options, he decided to throw caution to the wind and ask for help. "I''m too young and too handsome to die!" Kei shouted with all his might. "Someone save us!" A gust of wind answered his desperate cry for help. The two children landed softly on the ground and Kei almost wet his pants in relief. The moment Little John''s feet was firmly planted on the ground all his weight fell on Kei. Kei tried his best to support his best friend, but the two of them still collapsed unto the ground. He took in deep breaths and thanked the Gods for showing their mercy. When he opened his eyes, he saw a burly man with above average features standing beside the two of them. "I don''t know if you actively seek trouble, or trouble actively seeks you, Kei." The man said with an amused expression. "Pa, what took you so long to arrive?" Kei pouted and stood up from the ground. The man bent down to check Little John''s injury and immediately applied some high quality healing potion to the severe wounds in his body. He applied pressure on the boy''s broken arm and returned it to its rightful place. His lips moved to call words of power and a cast made of highly compressed mana encased the injury. Aenarion Frieden, the current Earl of Ravencourt stood up and patted his son''s head affectionately. "Kei, after this incident you will be grounded for three months," Aenarion said. "You better behave or I''ll tell your mother everything that happened today." Kei nodded like a hen pecking rice. He knew if his mother found out about this incident forget about three months, she might ground him for a year! Aenarion had a serious expression, but deep down inside he was feeling proud. "I''ll deal with that Cyclops. The two of you stay here." Aenarion took a step forward and disappeared instantly. He reappeared a hundred meters away from the Cyclops who was writhing in agony. The effect of the forced awakening was over and Amar slowly returned to his original form. Mia, was standing guard beside her companion. She was fighting Ishkar just a few minutes ago, but immediately withdrew when she sensed that Amar was in danger. "It would be best for you surrender, bloodline hunter." Ishkar slowly descended from the sky. Her hair fluttered in the wind and her scythe was dyed red with blood. Amar groaned and collapsed unto the ground. His body was aching all over and he no longer had the strength to move his body. "Escape Mia. Leave me behind." Amar said while gritting his teeth. "Protect the boss!" Mia no longer hesitated and tapped the necklace on her chest. Her body turned into particles of light and scattered. "A long distance teleport spell." Ishtar sneered. "Smart move, but it''s futile." She lowered her gaze and fired an air bullet at Amar knocking him unconscious. She then turned her head to look at Aenarion. "Uncle, can I personally interrogate this person?" Aenarion nodded his head and disappeared from where he stood. The battle was far from over and he had no intention to let any of the bloodline hunters escape. He was annoyed that such an organization were able to build a base in his Earldom. He knew that the officials of Veritas were in cahoots with these criminals and he intends to deal with them after he caught the mastermind of this operation. ------------------------------ Svein was able to reach the town of Veritas earlier than he expected. ''It''s a good thing that the passageway was shorter than I thought it was.'' He immediately returned to the inn to take the two girls that were sound asleep. "Wake up and follow me!" Svein ordered. Tifa and Milfa opened their eyes and stood from the bed. Svein took some of the important treasures in his collection and headed to the backdoor of the inn. The twins were following behind his back and kept up with his pace. They rode an ordinary looking carriage and headed to the western gate of the city. The guards allowed them to pass without any questions. Svein took out a crystal ball from his storage ring and tried to communicate with Mia. There was no answer on the other side and he knew that things were more dire than he initially expected. He glanced at the two girls who were sitting opposite him. Their lifeless eyes stared back at him and they sat properly in place. They were still wearing their nightgowns since Svein was in a hurry to escape. Just an hour ago he was very happy because of his accomplishment. He was also looking forward in training the twins to become his women and awaken their mythical bloodlines. The promotion he envisioned was within his reach, and yet... ''Why did things turn out this way?! WHY?!'' Svein cursed and raged within the carriage. The two girls watched him in silence. When he finally regained his calm, the carriage was already a kilometer away from Veritas. They were headed to one of their secret bunkers in the Earldom of Ravencourt, and it would take them at least three more hours to reach their destination. Svein closed his eyes and planned his next move. He would leave the Earldom for a while and converge with one of the heads of the organization that was stationed in Edelweiss. The carriage stopped abruptly and the shout of the coachman alerted him. Svein peeked at the carriage window and saw a young boy blocking their path. He had bruises all over his body, but his chin was raised in an arrogant manner. The leader of the Bloodline Hunters observed the boy and felt that he looked familiar. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "It was you!" Sven disembarked from the carriage and pointed his hand at the boy. "Everything that happened was because of you! Who are you?!" "Me?" Kei said with ridicule. "I am your Father." 38 Aftermath Part 1 "I am your Father." The ridicule in the voice of the young boy grated in Svein''s ears. After becoming a [Bronze Rank] member of the Bloodline Hunters everybody treated him with respect, and no one dared to insult him face to face. However, the goblin boy in front of him didn''t care about his rank nor identity and mocked him openly. He felt humiliated and growled in anger. "You devil spawn! I''ll tear you to pieces!" Svein lunged towards the young boy in front of him with the intention of tearing his body apart. The boy, however, didn''t run away and even looked at him in disdain. "You want to tear me to pieces?" the boy said with contempt. "You are a hundred years old too early!" Svein snarled in fury and delivered a punch aimed at the boy''s chest. The boy didn''t move, but Svein felt a powerful blow hit the side of his head. Blood splattered from his mouth and he was sent rolling unto the ground due to the force behind the blow. He ignored the pain and immediately stood. For someone to successfully deliver a sneak attack on him means that they managed to hide themselves from his acute senses. This means that the other person was stronger than him. Kei crossed his arms on his chest snorted. "Surrender or face your just desserts Bloodline Hunter." "Who are you?" Sven asked. He was trying to buy time in order to find the location of the warrior that attacked him. "I. Am. Your. Father." Svein ignored the boys reply and decided to get serious. His body bulged and his shirt tore to pieces. Shiny gray hair covered his entire body and they were hard as steel. He howled at the moonless night sky. The clouds covering the full moon parted and moonlight lit the dark night. "So, it''s just a small pup acting like an adult," an indifferent voice spoke behind him. "I thought the mastermind was a big fish, but I guess a small fry has its value as well." Svein turned his head and saw a burly man with blonde hair staring back at him. He could sense that the person behind him is very dangerous and the chances of him winning is slim even in his werewolf form. He knew the identity of the person in front of him. Since he was based in the Earldom of Ravencourt it was only natural to familiarize himself with the family ruling the land. There was a time to be stubborn and a time to negotiate, so he decided to negotiate first. "I have a proposal." Svein said. "If you allow me to leave, I will swear an oath that I will never return to this kingdom ever again. Also, all the treasures I have¡­ including the two girls in the carriage will be surrendered to you." The man didn''t reply and Svein knew that his bribe was not enough to move him. "Let me add that those two girls have the mythical bloodline of the Vanari. They will make excellent¡­ addition to your forces. You have three sons correct? You can make them their concubines if you like." Svein paused and took out a scroll from his storage ring. "This is a list of all the members of the organization in your Earldom. If you let me go, I''ll also give you this as compensation." Aenarion narrowed his eyes. He didn''t really care about the two girls in the carriage and was more interested in the list in Svein''s possession. Weeding out the rats in his Earldom would be a long and grueling task if he start from scratch. It was a tough decision and Aenarion was tempted to accept the proposal. "Pa, just accept the proposal." Kei said from where he stood. "He''s just a small fry anyways, we won''t lose anything by letting small fries go." Svein gritted his teeth. The little goblin boy''s word irritated him to the core. Calling him small fry not once, but twice brought shame to his ego. ''I swear, if given the chance I will make you wish you were never born!" he clenched his fist until blood flowed from his palms. "Very well, I will accept your proposal." Aenarion nodded his head. "Swear an oath to the Gods that you will do as you promised." "I also want you to swear that you, your family, and your men will not block my way from leaving the Kingdom of Edelweiss!" "Fair enough, but you will be the first to make an oath." Svein said his oath and returned the scroll to his storage ring. He took it off from his finger and threw it to Aenarion. "Come out of the carriage." He shouted from where he stood and the twins disembarked the carriage. They walked towards Aenarion like puppets on a string. The Earl of Ravencourt glanced at the two girls and felt pity at their current condition. "Remove their marks of slavery," Aenarion said. "I can''t do that." Svein replied. "The slave collars of the organization are different from those of slave traders. The mark of slavery can only be passed and not erased." "I can pass their mark of slavery to you, but I need to make physical contact." Aenarion frowned. He had no doubt in his mind that what the werewolf was saying was true. He had faced-off with the hunters on several occasions and understood how their slave collars work. Aside from passing the mark of slavery, there was also a hidden command in the collar of the Bloodline Hunters. If the master of the collar dies, the slaves would immediately commit suicide. He couldn''t allow himself to be in a defenseless state in front of the Werewolf because the latter didn''t vow to not hurt him in any way. An oath made to the Gods was a serious matter in the continent of Eleison. No one would be able to escape such oaths because the Gods would not allow anyone to escape. Oath breakers would have their souls pulled out from their bodies and become the slaves of the Gods for all eternity. Aenarion was debating whether he should take the risk when he noticed Kei started walking towards the werewolf. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Pass their mark of slavery to me," Kei said. "You can do that right?" Svein didn''t bother to look at the boy coming towards him. He only focused his gaze on Aenarion. The Earl of Ravenvourt nodded his head and Svein finally gazed at the young boy in front of him. ''He called him Pa before¡­ can he be his son? No. The Earl of Ravencourt only has three sons and a daughter. Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and his youngest daughter Chloee. This boy is not part of their family, so who is he?'' He was deep in thought, but he didn''t let it show on his face. Although there was a chance that this goblin boy was related to the Earl, his own life was more important so he didn''t bother to play any tricks and just passed the mark of slavery to him. Kei felt a connection form between him and the twins as if they were part of his own body. He briefly nodded his head to Svein and walked towards Aenarion. Aenarion didn''t say anything. Deep down he breathed a sigh of relief, and waited for Kei to stand beside him. Kei waved his hand and the twins finally regained their consciousness. Tifa and Milfa hugged each other and cried. "I''ve done my part. It''s your turn to honor yours." Aenarion closed his fist and rested it on his chest. "I hereby make an Oath to the Gods! I swear on my name, my wife, my descendants, my men, and my subjects will not hinder you from your escape from the Kingdom of Edelweiss." "Now, get out of my sight Bloodline Hunter." Aenarion said. "There will be no next time." Svein ran on all fours sprinting as fast as he could. He cursed the Earl, cursed the boy, and even the Gods as he ran with everything he had. His defeated back disappeared from sight and Aenarion glanced at his son with a complicated face. Kei scratched his cheek and returned his gaze. "Pa, why are you looking at me like that?" "Tell me Kei, will he be able to escape?" Aenarion asked in a serious tone. Kei chuckled. "Of course not, Pa. How can anyone make a big mess in our territory and get away with it?" "Now I feel sorry for him." "Pa, He doesn''t deserve your pity." Kei glanced at the two girls who were still crying in each others arms. His dark brown eyes glowed for a brief moment and thunder roared above the heavens. ''He doesn''t deserve anyone''s pity.'' Kei raised both his hands to the heavens, and the dark clouds blocked the full moon from sight. The twins raised their heads and looked at him. They felt a tingling sensation on their skin and was awed by the spectacle in front of them. Tendrils of lightning danced all over Kei''s body as if they were snakes that have a life of their own. Milfa held her chest. Her heart was beating very fast and she couldn''t take her eyes away from him. Kei could feel her gaze through the connection they shared. He also felt something else, it was a warm feeling. A feeling that he had never felt before, but deep inside he knew what it was. He closed his eyes and slowly guided that feeling to a safe corner of his heart. Now was not the time for compassion and mercy. He could only use his powers when there was a storm, and fortunately a storm was brewing over the sky of Veritas. Thunder roared and lightning danced like wild beasts. Kei felt the power rising within his body. There was a strong pressure that was pushing him down. It was as if the weight of the world where suddenly on his shoulders. Kei gritted his teeth and raised his head arrogantly to the heavens. "The power I wield will obliterate one and all. Pierce through the darkness and hear my call!" [Thunder God''s Wrath!] 39 Aftermath END Svein was running with everything he had when he heard an ear splitting thunderous roar from above. Everything happened too quickly and he had no time to react as massive lightning bolts descended from the heavens and pummeled him repeatedly. He roared in agony and did his best to dodge, but it was to no avail. The lightning was like a living beast that hounded him and tore his defenses with fury. His high grade defensive talismans were all in his storage ring and he gave it away. His steel like defenses were not strong enough to withstand the sheer force that was tearing him apart. Smell of burning skin assaulted his nose and this realization brought him despair. The lightning barrage only lasted for a minute, but for him it felt like eternity. He lay on the ground paralyzed and his breath was ragged. His body was charred and he was suffering from serious injuries. Werewolves had the innate ability of regeneration. However, for some reason his regenerative powers was not working. Sounds of footsteps approached him from behind. Not long after, he felt someone attach something to his neck. ''Th-This! Don''t tell me!'' He opened his eyes and saw the goblin boy that made his life miserable smiling down on him. He opened his mouth and his hoarse voice filled with despair asked the question that he dreaded. "Y-You! What do you think you''re doing?!" "Mmm? I am in need of a slave right now," Kei said. "Luckily, I found someone suitable on my way back home." "You!" "Me? I will be the most important person in your life from this moment onwards." "Pl-Please! Have mercy!" Svein pleaded. He knew the fate that would befall him if he wasn''t able to convince this goblin boy to spare him. Kei smiled wickedly and pointed a finger on his face. "Tell me, do this look like a face of mercy to you?" With a sneer, Kei pricked his finger with a small dagger. A small drop of blood oozed from his fingertip and dropped unto the slave collar on Svein''s neck. It glowed and Kei felt the effect of the contract taking place. "What about the oath?! Aren''t you one of the Earl''s subordinates?!" Svein asked. "This means he broke the oath! The gods will punish him! He will pay for your insolence!" "Oh, that oath? Pa, didn''t break any oaths," Kei replied while chuckling. "What was that oath again? Ah¡­" "I hereby make an Oath to the Gods! I swear on my name, my wife, my descendants, and my men. None of my subjects will hinder you from your escape from the Kingdom of Edelweiss." Kei arrogantly raised his chin and gazed at the heavens. "Pa''s bloodline doesn''t run through my veins. This means that I''m not his descendant. I am also not one of his men, and not a subject of this Earldom. Which means¡­ the oath doesn''t affect me!" He patted Svein''s head and sneered. "Be a good boy and sleep. The moment you wake up, your new life will begin." Svein wanted to curse him, but he was unable to disobey the command of the slave collar. He was soon fast asleep and Kei finally breathed a sigh of relief. He sat down on the ground because his legs were shaking from exhaustion. "You did well, Kei." Aenarion appeared beside him and patted his head affectionately. Your mother would be proud of you if we were to tell him everything. "Pa, do you want Ma to spank my bum? I''m pretty sure that she''ll forbid me to leave the estate if she learn about this incident." "Maybe that would be better no? At least you won''t go making trouble wherever you go." "Mmm, Pa, I''m sleepy." "Then rest, leave the cleanup to me. You can take the two girls back to Veritas," Aenarion said. "It''s been a long night and all of you kids should be sleeping. It''s way past your bedtime." "Mmm, it''s way past our bedtime." ---------------------------- Kei awoke to the sound of birds singing. His body felt heavy due to the adventure he had a few hours ago. He turned his head to the side and saw a young girl sleeping beside him. One of her hands were on his chest, while the other was holding unto his arm. He looked at the bed beside them. His lips curled up when he saw Little John being embraced by Tifa. However, instead of bliss the expression on Little John''s face was filled with pain. Although Tifa wasn''t holding on to his broken arm, she was lying directly on top of him. The two of them were still asleep, but it seems that his best friend was suffering in his dreams. Kei offered him a silent prayer and returned his attention to the sleeping girl beside him. The two of them share a connection and he felt her waking up. He watched as Milfa opened her eyes and looked at him in a daze. She smiled, snuggled closer to him, and closed her eyes. "Mmm? Still want to sleep?" Kei asked in a gentle tone. "Please, just ten more minutes," She replied almost pleadingly. "My Lady , if that is your wish then this humble servant dare not disobey." Milfa''s cheeks turned beet red, but she didn''t open her eyes. Instead she snuggled closer to him and Kei patted her head with a smile. A few hours later, the twins had a happy reunion with their grandfather. He was one of the captives found in the warehouse of the Bloodline Hunters. The hunters didn''t kill him because they found out that he had faint traces of a rare bloodline. He was then treated as valuable commodity and locked up with the other villagers. Tifa and Milfa introduced him to Kei as Grandpa Vlad. "I can''t thank you enough for saving my granddaughters," Vlad said while hugging the two girls. Kei scratched his cheek. "It''s no big deal Grandpa. Also, you don''t have to worry about the mark of slavery. I have a way to remove it." "You do?" Vlad asked. "Yes. I just need to gather a few materials and I can undo the mark of slavery." "That''s good! Thank you!" Milfa turned his head to stare at Kei "I don''t want the mark to be removed." "Eh?" Kei answered in surprise. "Why not?" "I don''t want to lose my connection to you!" "Th-This?" "I want to become your servant!" Vlad glanced at the both of them and a small smile appeared on his old face. He then turned his gaze to Tifa. "How about you Tifa? Do you want your mark to be removed?" Tifa nodded her head in a heartbeat. She then looked at the direction of Little John who was seated not far away from them. ''I see, so that''s how it is.'' Vlad nodded his head in understanding. ''A lot of things happened in the span of a few days.'' "Young master, please take good care of my granddaughter." Vlad bowed his head. "It seems that she wants to be taken under your wing as a retainer. It''s perfectly normal for nobles to have many people serving under him. Would you please consider having her serve you?" Kei crossed his arms on his chest. He could feel Milfa''s strong desire to stay by his side, but he was not sure whether he has the capacity to take care of other people aside from himself. "That sounds like a good idea." Aenarion suddenly appeared beside Kei. "Why don''t you accept her as your retainer? Like her grandfather said having a retainer is perfectly normal for nobles. You will have them sooner or later, why not have them sooner?" Kei tilted his head and looked at his Pa. Aenarion winked at him and patted his head. "Very well. We will do the ceremony here," Kei said. "I''ll ask you once more, are you sure about this?" Instead of answering Milfa bent her knee like a knight in front of him. Kei took out a ceremonial dagger from his storage ring and started the ceremony. "What is your family name?" Kei asked. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "We have none. Rather, we have lost the right to our family name." Vlad answered in Milfa''s stead. Kei didn''t say anything else and softly tapped the blade of the sword on Milfa''s shoulder. "Do you swear to acknowledge me, Kei Frieden, to be your true and rightful liege?" "I do swear." "Do you also swear to defend and obey me until death take you?" "I do so swear." "And I, for my part, do swear to defend and honor Milfa Lionheart as befits of one serving under me." Kei tapped both of her shoulders using the ceremonial dagger on his hand. "Raise your head." Kei said. Milfa obeyed and raised her head. For some reason, she felt very happy. It was a different kind of happiness. Something that she had never felt before. Kei extended his hand and helped her up. "I''m a troublemaker so be prepared," Kei said with a smile. Milfa smiled back. "Please take care of me from now on, Young Master." "Mmm, I will." ----------------------- "And that was how I met Young Master." There were a slight blush on Shino''s cheek when Milfa finished her story. "The ten year old master was so cool! Also, that name Lionheart, it''s a good name." "He was." Milfa nodded her head in agreement. "And yes, I love the name the young master gave me." "So which one is cooler? The younger version of master or the current one?" Shino asked. "The current one," Milfa replied. "He is much cooler now." "Mmm, I agree. I''m much cooler now." The two girls gasped in surprise like two children caught for doing something bad behind their parent''s backs. "Master, how long had you been awake?" "Handsome young master, you shouldn''t do that. You almost gave me a heart-attack." Kei drew the two of them in his embrace and kissed both of their cheeks. "I have been awake since Chapter 35." "Cha-Chapter 35?" Shino asked. "What is this Chapter 35 you speak of, Master?" Milfa pouted. "Handsome young master, you are teasing us again." Kei closed his eyes and listened to the protests of the two ladies by his side. He felt their concern and their feelings of love through the connection they have with him. Just like Milfa, Shino was connected to him in ways he do not understand. Perhaps Grandma Sophie did something during the ceremony and bound the two of them together. Kei didn''t mind, because he had already accepted Shino in his life. He knew that dark times were up ahead, but for now, he was content to have these two ladies by his side. 40 Reunion at the City of Freypor Kei and his party arrived at the City of Freyport. It was where they were supposed to meet Little John and his sister Little Daisy. "Tifa, where should we meet Little John and Little Daisy?" Kei asked Tifa who was seated beside him on the coachman''s seat of the carriage. "Their last letter said that they were staying at the Red Horse Pavillion," Tifa replied while scanning the surroundings. "If my guess is correct, it should be that inn over there, Handsome Young Master." Kei looked in the direction Tifa was pointing at and saw a familiar face waving at them. "Oi Kei! What took you so long?!" Tifa urged the horse to move faster and the carriage stopped right in front of Little John. Kei descended the carriage and shook hands with his best friend. "Sorry for making you wait," Kei said. "A lot of things happened in Amaranth and I had to deal with the aftermath." Little John flicked Kei''s forehead with his finger. "My sister and I were very worried when we heard the news of the Dungeon Outbreak. She even wanted to rush to Amaranth in order to save you." "Nonsense!" a tall and beautiful lady stormed out the inn and admonished Little John. "You were the one who insisted to go!" Kei rubbed his forehead and chuckled. "Come Little Daisy, let''s ignore your brother and talk about my heroic feats in Amaranth." Little Daisy glanced at him and narrowed her eyes. "What happened to your hair?" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Ah this? This is the new style that is very popular in Amaranth right now. I decided to join the trend and try it for myself." Kei made an arrogant pose and raised his chin. "Do I look more handsome compared to the last time you saw me, Little Daisy?" Little Daisy snorted and came closer. Her hand reached out to his waist and pinched it hard. Kei yelled and writhed in pain from the merciless greeting that he received from her. "Handsome? When was the last time you looked at a mirror?" Little Daisy said with disdain. "You better tell me everything or else¡­" "Stop ah! It hurts ah! I''m still injured ah!" Little Daisy stopped pinching him and grabbed his hand. She dragged him inside the inn leaving everyone behind. Little John scratched his head and volunteered to bring the carriage to the stable of the inn. Tifa accompanied him while Milfa and Shino talked to the innkeeper for their room arrangement. They took the rooms that were adjacent to Little John and Little Daisy''s room and booked it for four days. Kei told them in advance that they would be staying in the city for a few days because there was some important business that needed his immediate attention. The two decided to stay in the rooms that they had reserved and waited for their young master to return. "Little Daisy seems to be very close to Master." Shino said as she lazily lay in the bed. "What kind of relationship do they have?" "Good question," Milfa replied. "I''ve been with them for a few years and all I can see is Young Master treating her like a little sister." "Hmm¡­ is that so?" Shino pondered for a bit. ''Strange. Mother didn''t tell me anything about Little Daisy. Does she not consider her as Master''s lover?'' Shino rolled back and forth on the bed while Milfa stared outside the window. "Little John is indeed handsome. No wonder your sister is smitten with him." Shino decided to start another conversation because she was bored. "Yes. It''s quite unfortunate that he is dense." Milfa said deep in thought. "Or he is pretending to be dense in order to ignore my sister''s advances." "You asked to become master''s retainer because you wanted to stay by his side. If that was the case then why did your sister not ask to become Little John''s retainer as well?" Shino asked like an old lady looking for juicy gossip. "Little John is not a noble, so my sister can''t become his retainer." Milfa shook her head. "Of course, my sister didn''t give up and insisted to become his maidservant instead." "From the looks of it she didn''t succeed." "She didn''t. Little John told her that his family couldn''t afford to hire a maidservant." "Pffft!" Shino giggled after hearing Milfa''s reply. "What happened next?" Milfa walked towards the bed and sat beside her. she took out a brush and started brushing Shino''s hair. Shino closed her eyes and allowed her to make her look more presentable. The two of them had become sworn sisters to each other and their relationship had improved since then. "My sister told him that she could work for free, but Little John flatly refused." Milfa continued her explanation, "Since grandpa and I decided to work under the Frieden Family, my sister decided to become Handsome Young Master''s retainer as well." "Did master erase her mark of slavery?" "He did." "I see¡­" Shino''s lips curved into a smile. "Then have the two of you awakened your bloodlines?" Milfa stiffened at her question and almost dropped the brush in her hand. "Not yet," Milfa answered. "The requirements have not been met." "Oh?" Shino hugged Milfa''s shoulder like a little girl asking to be spoiled. "What are the requirements?" "That..." Milfa was about to answer her when someone knocked on the door of their room. The two exchanged glances and immediately stood up from the bed. "Who is it?" Milfa asked. "The most handsome man in the continent of Eleison!" Milfa smiled and opened the door. Kei entered the room with Little Daisy walking behind him. Little John and Tifa also made their appearance. Kei sat on the bed and gestured for Shino and Milfa to seat beside him. Little John and Little Daisy sat on the couch while Tifa stood with her arms crossed on her chest. Everyone was silent and waited for Kei to start the discussion. "I have some good news and bad news," Kei said. "What would you guys like to hear first?" 41 Five Forbidden Areas "I have some good news and bad news," Kei said. "What would you guys like to hear first?" Little John lightly coughed and looked at him straight in the eye. "Let''s hear the bad news first." Kei nodded his head and took out a crystal from his storage ring. He tapped it twice and a projection appeared in front of him. "Amaranth is not the only city that encountered a dungeon outbreak." A map of the Eastern Federation appeared in front of them and Kei enlarged it for everyone to see. "Four more cities located near the forbidden areas encountered a dungeon outbreak." "Wait! When you say the forbidden areas¡­," Little Daisy asked with a frown. "Are you referring to the Five Forbidden Areas of the Eastern Federation?" Kei nodded his head in affirmation. "The forbidden areas of the Eastern Federation namely, Tir Na Nog, Falias, Gorias, Finias, and Murias. The closest city near these places with the exception of Tir Na Nog had a dungeon outbreak." "The merchant group that we were supposed to meet here in Freyport canceled their trip because of these incidents." "This also mean that one of the special materials we needed to create the [System] will be delayed." Kei gave Little John an apologetic look. "Right now, we have two options. One is to go to their merchant headquarters in the City of Vesperia and make the trade there. Or, we can hunt it ourselves by diving into the "Berserker Dungeon" in the capital of Edelweiss." Kei waved his hand and the projection in front of him showed the mapped floors of the dungeon. "The Emperium is said to be found at the seventieth floor. The floor is called the "Hall of Emperors" because only adventurers that have the Emperor/Empress ranks have the chance to survive that floor." Shino unconsciously shivered beside Kei. She was once a dungeon core and understood the difference in difficulty once the floor of a dungeon surpassed fifty. Her own dungeon was only made up of fifty floors, but no one was able to clear it. The reason was because the boss of the fiftieth floor was the mythical Quetzalcoatl. In order to defeat him, a full party of Emperor Class adventurers must be assembled. From the fiftieth floor onwards, a boss would appear every five levels. This meant that they needed to deal with four [Mythical Class] Bosses in order to reach their destination. Everyone''s face turned grim. There was only one party in the history of Edelweiss that had cleared the seventieth floor of the Berserker Dungeon. It was none other than Legolas Frieden and his adventurer party called the "Odyssey." One of the members of that party was the current patriarch of the Merchant Guild Kei contacted. The only reason why he agreed to sell the Emperium to him was because he was the "grandson" of his party leader. "Let''s be realistic. It''s impossible for us to clear the dungeon with the current forces we have," Kei said while sighing. "Also, I will not be able to use my powers for a year. Unless we assemble the other Overlords, we can forget about going to that dungeon." Little John and Little Daisy gasped in surprise. "What? You can''t use your power for a year?" Little Daisy asked worriedly. "How will you be able to defend yourself then?" Kei chuckled. "Relax, I have two reliable retainers by my side. Also, I have two strong bodyguards protecting me." "Strong bodyguards?" Little Daisy had a disbelieving look on her face. "How strong are they?" "Strong enough that I can sleep in the middle of the battlefield in peace." Kei said with confidence. "Please be at ease. I''m too young and too handsome to die." He averted his gaze and said in a low voice, "Not to mention, I''m still a virgin. I can''t die just yet." Little Daisy wasn''t able to hear his mumbling, but Shino and Milfa did. The two girls blushed and shared knowing glances at each other. Little John snorted. "I will not ask why you are unable to use your powers for a year because I know you have your reasons." His expression suddenly turned serious. "Since it has come to this you will need the power of the [System] more than ever." "I agree," Little Daisy supported his brother. "Now is a critical time for Edelweiss. The king intends to pass the crown to one of the princes before he retires and that means a battle for succession is just around the corner." "Without you as a deterrent, we will be thrown in the middle of the storm whether we like it or not." Little John clenched his fists. "I don''t want to admit it, but the reason why Ravencourt is peaceful is because you are there." Everyone in the room except Shino nodded their heads. An Overlord was an untouchable existence. The rulers of the Eastern Federation were well aware of this fact and treated them with respect. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Don''t worry. Even if they found out that I can''t use my powers, Ravencourt will be safe," Kei said. "There is someone more scary than me that watches over the territory." "Are you talking about Grandpa Legolas?" Little John asked. "No. Although gramps is strong, the person I am talking about is stronger than him." Kei scratched his cheek. "That person might be even stronger than me, but enough about this. For now you don''t have to worry about the Earldom." "Let''s put aside the matter of the [System] for now and talk about some good news." Kei clapped his hands together. "The good news is that¡­" Everyone in the room gave him their full attention. "Eight days from now the Auction of the Stars will be held here in Freyport." 42 Auction of the Stars The Auction of the Stars was a special auction that was held randomly in the Eastern Federation. The founder of the auction house was an eccentric person and was lucky enough to acquire a unique treasure that allowed him to store an item that will not surpass two square kilometers in length, width, and height. His name was Shin Seiji. One of the few survivors that managed to enter the forbidden areas and survived to tell the tale. The treasure was the prize he obtained from his adventure. Ironically, he was also a very wealthy man. He hired the best artisans and engineers to build an auction house with multiple levels that was able to accommodate up to a five hundred thousand people. It was the most ambitious project he ever made in his career and thus the greatest auction house in the Eastern Federation was born. Only rare and valuable treasures could be auctioned in the Auction of the Stars which makes it an event that the rich, powerful, and influential individuals couldn''t afford to miss. Kei received the news from Nicholas before he left the City of Amaranth. The fat merchant held a position within the Roge Merchant Guild that allowed him to get valuable information as soon as it became available. Shin Seiji always make an announcement twelve days in advance before the auction takes place. He finds pleasure in making people travel great distances in order to attend his event. How does he disseminate the news in such a short time? The answer was simple. He gives the news to the merchant guilds first and let them spread the news in his stead. Kei was hoping that the his Grandpa''s old friend will reconsider and travel towards Freyport city in order to participate in the Auction of the Stars. His only concern was whether the Emperium would be included in the items for auction. A merchant always aims to get the best deal in every transaction. There were no mountains high enough nor sea wide enough to stop them as long as they will be making a fortune in the process. Results always justify the means, even if the means used were something underhanded. "Worst comes to worst the Emperium might be auctioned," Kei said. "If that happens, we can''t do anything about it." Little John snorted in disdain. "Greedy merchants." "In the case the Emperium gets auctioned, will you bid for it?" Little Daisy asked. "Do you have enough funds to bid for it?" Kei sighed and shook his head. He might be an Overlord, but that doesn''t mean that he was very wealthy. He was someone who donates to charities especially to the orphanages that were scattered in their Earldom. Although he had some funds, it would not be enough to fight in a bidding war against the truly rich and powerful. "Let''s meet him first when he arrives," Kei said. "We will make our move depending on the outcome of the negotiations." The group talked about a few more things before Kei decided to adjourn their meeting. Little John, Little Daisy, and Tifa left the room in order to handle some important matters for him. Kei lay down on the bed and allowed the two girls to give him a body massage. It was a special massage that Grandma Sophie taught Shino. This massage could help ease the sporadic pains that plagued Kei ever since he released the final seal of the Exceed Break. He never bothered to tell anyone about it and endured it alone. However, Grandma Sophie was well aware of his hardship because this was the second time Kei undid the last seal. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Shino in turn taught Milfa the technique and the two of them worked together to alleviate his suffering. Kei groaned in both pain and pleasure as the two soft hands caressed his body. "Master, does this feel good?" "Mmm, it feels good." "Handsome young master, does it hurt somewhere else?" "My legs are hurting a bit." Kei sighed in bliss. "I never thought that a massage could feel this good." Shino giggled and whispered seductively in his ear. "Master, is Little Master hurting? Maybe we need to give him a massage too." Kei shivered when he heard Shino''s seductive voice. He knew that she was only teasing him. However, the thought of her soft hands giving Little Kei a massage made him shudder. He was very tempted to agree to her suggestion, but he knew that the moment he say yes there would be no turning back for the three of them. He used all of his willpower to resist the temptation and patted her head. "All in good time. Fret not, that time will come soon." "Mmn." Shino kissed his cheek and returned her attention in giving him a massage. Shino and Milfa knew that Kei wanted to meet his fiance, Fiona, and have a good talk with her. Until then, Kei refrained from taking their relationship to the next level. The most he did was give them hugs and kisses. The two girls were in cahoots with each other and teased him from time to time. They even made plans to tie him up and have their way with him. Still, they held back and respected his decision. A colorful bird of prey flew inside the room from the window and landed at the side of the bed. {Young Master, we surveyed the city and the surrounding area and didn''t see any signs of the man you described to us.} ''I guess it''s still too early for him to appear.'' Kei mused. "Where is Lily?" Kei asked. {Lily is currently mapping the underground sewers of the city. As per your orders, Young Master.} "Mmm, Good job." Kei said. "For now, stay close to the inn and alert me if you see anyone suspicious." {As you command, Young Master.} Luke gave a brief bow before taking flight to leave the room. The two girls continued to give him a massage while Kei was deep in thought. He knew that the Auction of the Stars would attract all sorts of troublemakers. There had never been a time when the Auction ended in peace. This time would not be different from the rest. 43 Not For Sale Six days passed since Kei and his party arrived at the City of Freyport. The Auction of the Stars was only two days away and an influx of people from all parts of the Eastern Federation made their way to the city. All the inns were fully booked which made the innkeepers very happy. Some of the residents didn''t miss out the opportunity to earn some money and decided to rent their homes to wealthy individuals. Those who were not lucky enough to secure lodgings settled inside their carriages, tents, and other makeshift shelters while they wait for the auction to start. "Master, the city is so lively today!" Shino exclaimed as she saw the various vendors shouting their wares at the plaza. She was holding Kei''s arm and was getting the attention of the people around them. "Mmm, the various merchants from the Federation likes to showcase their wares during the Auction of the Stars." Kei said. He had a smug look on his face and it pissed off the guys that were ogling Shino. Although Shino looked like a fourteen year old girl, she was already very beautiful. She instantly became the center of attention the moment they entered the plaza. Her blonde hair swayed in the wind and her scarlet eyes were clear and radiant. Kei arrogantly raised his chin as if to tell everyone "Jealous? Hah! It''s not my fault for being handsome!" He was in a good mood and made sure that everyone could see it. Shino, on the other hand, were oblivious of everything that was happening around them. She was more interested in the beautiful clothes that were crafted from the different kingdoms of the Eastern Federation. "If you like anything just tell me," Kei said. "I''ll buy them for you." "Really?! Master, I love you!" Shino hugged Kei and the latter hugged her back. He even kissed her forehead when he was sure that all the guys were looking. Shino kissed his cheek in return and half-dragged him towards a stall that sells clothes. The men gritted their teeth in envy, and Kei chuckled to rub salt on their wounds. Before they went to the plaza, Kei taught Shino the art of bargaining. "Listen to me Shino, merchants are suckers for beautiful girls," Kei explained. "All you need to do is pout, get teary eyed, and they will give in to your demands! Make sure to use this technique when shopping anywhere in the continent." Shino nodded her head in acknowledgement. She was still ignorant of the way of the world and listened to Kei''s teaching seriously. It didn''t take long before she used this technique to the pitiful merchants that were selling the things she liked. As expected, the merchants were no match for Shino''s beauty and gave her discounts for the clothes she purchased. Some of them even gave her free accessories as parting gifts which she gladly accepted. ''Master was right! This technique is very effective!'' Shino was in a good mood. She was very satisfied with the purchases they made and was looking forward to wearing the clothes she bought today. "What a beautiful girl." A man riding a white horse who seems to be in his early twenties muttered as his gaze followed Shino. He was captivated by her beauty and her pink, seductive lips, made his heart tremble. The guard captain that was beside him understood his master''s intention and decided to score some brownie points. "You there halt!" the guard captain shouted. Kei and Shino kept on walking and ignored the call behind them. Realizing that he was ignored, the guard captain ran ahead of them and blocked their way. "My young master would like to have a talk with the two of you." The guard captain said with a serious expression. "I hope that the two of you cooperate." Kei rolled his eyes ''Che, such a cliche development.'' He then turned his eyes at the man riding the white horse. The man was good looking and Kei could tell that the clothes he was wearing were very expensive. He chuckled inwardly knowing how this would turn out. "You have some business with us?" Kei asked in an arrogant manner. "Yes, I do," the man answered and guided his steed to their direction. "I wish to speak with the young lady by your side." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Shino frowned. Her inborn instinct was telling her that this man was up to no good. Kei''s hand landed on her shoulder and drew her into his embrace. She closed her eyes and buried her head on his chest. "You have business with my woman?" Kei raised his chin. "Sorry, but the two of us are a lovely dovey couple. Can you not get in the way of our date?" Shino felt something warm spread inside her heart. Kei always gave her hugs and kisses, but this was the first time he announced in public that ''She was his woman.'' the man had a complicated look on his face and decided to introduce himself. "My name is Sirius, Sirius Gwyn of the Gwyn Merchant Guild." Kei raised one of his eyebrows. "Are you perhaps related to Libertus Gwyn?" Sirius dismounted his horse and nodded. "Do you know my grandfather?" "Is he here?" "No, my grandfather is dealing with the aftermath of the dungeon outbreak. Who are you?" ''Dealing with the aftermath? What a lame excuse.'' Kei cursed the old man in his head. ''More like he is trying to avoid me like a plague.'' "My name is Kei, Kei Frieden," Kei said. "Your grandpa and I had a transaction, but he cancelled it at the last minute." Sirius narrowed his eyes when he heard Kei''s introduction. "I see. You were the one who wanted to purchase the Emperium correct?" Kei brushed Shino''s hair with his hand and the latter seemed content to stay in his embrace. "Yes." Sirius glanced at Shino who was in Kei''s embrace and felt a burning jealousy that he had never felt before. He had seen many beautiful woman in his travels as the successor of their merchant guild and by far, Shino was the most unique among them. She radiated an aura of purity and innocence that was strong enough to melt his heart. He had never felt such an overwhelming desire over a woman and the feeling was driving him crazy. He clenched his fist and made his decision. ''I must have her!'' "I have a proposal," Sirius said with an earnest look. "My grandfather gave me full authority in the negotiation for the Emperium. I was planning to have it auctioned, but I changed my mind." "I will give you the Emperium in exchange for the young lady," Sirius offered. "I''ll also add ten thousand gold coins as compensation. What say you?" Kei spat on the ground before sneering at him. "My woman is not for sale. You can keep the Emperium and your gold. Now get out of my sight!" 44 The Most Carefree and Magnanimous Overlord "My woman is not for sale. You can keep the Emperium and your gold. Now get out of my sight!" Sirius was surprised at Kei''s aggressive reply. He knew that he was in the wrong and decided to take a step back. Leaving a bad impression to the young lady was the last thing he wanted to do. He needed to make sure that he doesn''t appear as the villain in this scene, so he signaled the guard captain to return to his side. "My apologies. Was my compensation not enough? How about I give you twent- no, fifty thousand gold coins," Sirius said. "If you still think this amount is inadequate I am open for negotiations." Kei patted Shino''s head and the two of them walked away ignoring the merchant''s offer. Sirius looked at Shino''s back with longing and his heart felt like it was being pricked by needles. He could tell that she had only eyes for Kei, but he was unwilling to give up. ''What''s so good about him? He''s just an overlord!'' Sirius agonized and dark thoughts started to form in his head. ''He doesn''t deserve her! She deserves someone like me!'' The guard captain saw the change in his young master''s expression. He laughed in his mind because he understood that his employer would not let the young lady get away from his grasp. He walked a bit closer and advised his young master in hushed tones. "Young master, I saw some of my old friends here in the city. They are very skilled mercenaries and you only need to offer a good price in order to make them do something like¡­ abduct a young lady." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Sirius glanced at the guard captain. Right now he was not able to think properly because of the infatuation he was feeling towards Shino. He was about to give his answer when a red lightning bolt came out of nowhere and blasted the guard captain off the ground. He spun for a few seconds in the air before he fell like a broken doll on the pavement; his body still emitting smoke. The poor man was heavily injured and his chest had been charred. The smell of burning flesh spread through the surroundings and it caused some of the merchants to make the sign of the Goddesses to protect them from harm. Sirius snapped out of his daze and ordered his men to help his guard captain. He gazed at the direction where Kei and Shino was headed. He could no longer see them, yet he was certain that this was a warning that came from Kei. He closed his eyes to help him remember the words that his Grandfather, Libertus Gwyn, told him before he left their merchant guild to participate in The Auction of the Stars. "Listen to me Sirius, and listen well. If you meet Kei Frieden, do not get on his bad side," Libertus said with a grave expression. "He will not be shameless enough to force you to hand over the Emperium to him because the Overlords have their pride and dignity." Libertus sighed, "You''re still young and you haven''t witnessed how terrifying they can be when provoked. Among the Five Overlords of the Federation, Kei Frieden is the most carefree and magnanimous." "He is not as dangerous as the Overlord of the East, nor as annoying as that elf from the North. He doesn''t hide in the shadows like the Overlord of the South, and not as wild as that crazy child in the Academy." "Still, he is an Overlord. An existence that even the rulers of the Federation had to acknowledged as someone that was far above them." Libertus looked at his successor with a seriousness that he only showed during the most dangerous battles of his life. "Never, ever, stand against him. If you couldn''t befriend him then make sure that you don''t become his enemy." "Without a doubt you will meet him in the City of Freyport. How you handle the Emperium is up to you. This is your final trial as my successor." Libertus gave him a pat on the shoulder and walked away. Sirius opened his eyes and mounted his horse. The guard captain was given first aid, but he needed to be brought back to their lodging and let their healers attend to him. His entourage followed behind him and kept silent. They were afraid that a "stray lightning bolt" might come down from the heavens and smite them. --------------------- {Master, you should have ordered me to kill that man,} Luke said in annoyance. He was tempted to turn the guard captain into a lump of charcoal, but Kei forbid him from doing so. He was angry that someone dared to make a move against his mistress right under his watch. The only one he acknowledged as her mistress''s partner was Kei, and he would not allow anyone to have evil intentions towards her. {Luke is right Master,} Lily hissed from Shino''s shoulder. {That would teach them a lesson especially that man called Sirius.} Kei smiled and firmly held Shino''s hand. {He is still the grandson of the companion of Grandpa from his days of adventuring. I need to give him some face. However, if he still wouldn''t back down after this¡­} Kei curled his lips into a wicked grin. {I''ll make Libertus Gwyn regret his decision for canceling our agreement.} He laughed out loud in a creepy way causing the people in his surroundings to give him a look of disgust. "UWAAAAAH! UWAAAAAH!" A baby girl cried in the distance and her mother did her best to comfort her while glaring at Kei. Kei, on the other hand, stopped his laughter and coughed lightly. He increased his pace almost half dragging Shino behind him. The latter had a hand over her lips and her body shivered from time to time. She was doing her best to prevent herself from laughing out loud at the funny scene that transpired. "Hmp! You dare to laugh at your Master?" Kei said using a mischievous tone. "I''ll make sure you don''t get any sleep tonight!" "Mmn! I''ll look forward to that, Master," Shino replied, cheerfully. "Please punish me for being a bad girl." Her words were heard by the men who were secretly following her from behind, and all of them cursed Kei in their mind out of jealousy. Sirius wasn''t the only one who was charmed by Shino. Some of the powerful individuals that arrived in the city also sent some men to investigate her. There were even some high ranking nobles who ordered their men to capture her if an opportunity presents itself. Kei knew what they were planning, but he doesn''t care. Even without his powers, he was confident that he would still come out on top. After all, Luke and Lily were by his side and the two of them combined were more than enough to fight an army of thousands. He still have some hidden cards under his sleeve and he was not afraid to use them if push comes to shove. 45 Ill Make You Feel Good Too! Little John arrived at the inn they were staying at along with his sister Little Daisy. Tifa and Milfa were still handling the task that Kei gave them for the day and they would probably arrive before sunset. They decided to check first if Kei had returned to his room. Little John was about to knock on the door when he heard Kei and Shino talking from inside. "Ma-master, it won''t fit!" "Don''t worry, I''ll be gentle." Little John''s hand froze in mid-air. He glanced at his sister and the latter placed a hand on her own lips. The two stuck their ears on the door and listened. "It''s a bit tight, but if there is a will, there is a way!" Kei said with confidence. "Here I go. Brace yourself!" "Ma-master, it hurts! Stop! Please pull it out!" Shino cried in pain. "So-sorry, here let me rub it for you. Does it still hurt?" "Master, it''s starting to feel good." "Relax, I''m an expert in making pain go away. You''ll be begging me for more later." The brother and sister outside the door glanced at each other in dismay. Both of them was unsure on how to proceed. "Should we come back later?" Little John whispered. Little daisy pursed her lips together. "It would be best if we don''t disturb the two of them." There was a hint of annoyance in her voice and she stomped towards her own room. His brother, Little John, scratched his head and followed behind her. Meanwhile inside the room¡­ "Master, although this shoe is very pretty it''s too small for me." Shino said with regret. This was a shoe that she found on the marketplace and bought it because it was pretty. Kei was massaging her foot in order to make up for hurting her earlier. "Mmm, next time we buy shoes I''ll make you wear them first. There were too many people at the plaza leering at you, and I got a bit overprotective." "Hehehe." Shino giggled. The two spent some happy time together unaware that the brother and sister next door misunderstood the situation. The two thought that Kei and Shino were doing something inappropriate and let them be. Little John cursed Kei for being shameless, and was worried about her sister. Little Daisy on the other hand was sharpening her kitchen knife. The grating sound of steel being sharpened made Little John sweat buckets. Kei and Little Daisy grew up together and the two of them were very close. Even so, he still don''t understand what kind of relationship they were in. Kei had always treated her as a little sister, and her sister treated Kei like family. There was a time when Little John asked his father, Cronus, whether he approved of Kei as his sister''s future husband and his reply baffled him. ------------------------- Cronus laughed out loud. "Little Daisy and Kei? No. Child that''s impossible. Even if pigs grew wings and fly those two will never be in a romantic relationship." "Why can''t they be in a romantic relationship?" Little John asked. "Your sister already had someone she likes." Cronus replied. His lips curled up into a smile. "And she has a love rival to boot. I don''t understand kids these days, back then things were so simple." Little John was shocked at the revelation and tried to ask more from his father. "How come I was not aware of this? Who is that person? Do I know him?" Cronus started tinkering with his inventions. He ignored Little John''s questions and busied himself with work. Little John knew that he wouldn''t be getting any answers from his father, so he decided to confront Little Daisy and get the answers straight from her. He easily found her in the kitchen. She was busy preparing their dinner. Not wanting to disturb her, he decided to wait until she finished her cooking. Little Daisy noticed her brother staring at her and it gave her goosebumps. At first she wanted to ignore him, but his stare was creeping her out. With no other alternative she raised her head and stared at him in the eye. "Brother, do you need something from me?" Little Daisy asked. "Sister, do you like someone?" Little Daisy gave his brother a weird look. "Why are you asking me this question?" "I''m just curious. Is the person you like Kei?" "No." "Really?" Little Daisy sighed. He looked at his brother in annoyance. "I like someone, but it''s not Kei." Little John didn''t expect her sister to give him an immediate answer. He could tell that she wasn''t lying. "Who is he?" Little John asked in an agitated manner. "How dare he make his move on my sister without getting my permission?! I''ll break his bones!" Little Daisy froze for a second before bursting into laughter. She held her belly and covered her mouth with a hand. Her suppressed laughter made Little John angrier. "Do you think I''m joking? Who is that person?" Little John demanded an answer. "I''ll beat him up in front of you!" "Hmp! You can''t even touch a strand of that person''s hair let alone beat her up." "I can, and I will make sure that¡­" Little John stiffened. "Her? Did you just say her?" "Yes. I did." "You like a girl?" "I do." Little Daisy nodded. "Do I know her?" "You do." Little John scratched his head. He was confused right now because her sister admitted that she likes a girl. A girl liking a girl was not unheard of. There was a famous dragon girl in the capital who have a harem of girls at her beck and call. Still, to think that her sister swings that way¡­ "Is the person you like Tifa? Or is it Milfa?" Little John asked. Disbelief written all over his face. "Wait, don''t tell me you''re in love with Chloee?" "No to all the names you mentioned." Little Daisy replied. "Also, I won''t tell you her name. Stupid brother!" ------------------------- To this day, Little John didn''t know the name of the girl her sister liked. Also, he was still hoping that Kei would still become his future brother-in-law. He searched his memories for possible candidates, but he came up with a blank. He was deep in thought when a familiar voice was heard from outside the door. "Little John, Little Daisy are you there?" Kei''s said as he knocked on their door. Little Daisy immediately ceased her activities and returned her knife to her storage bag. She opened the door and looked at the grinning Kei in front of her. "Shino and I will be having lunch. If you haven''t eaten yet, why don''t the two of you join us?" "Heh, you''re still not satisfied after eating her up? You want more?" Little Daisy''s voice has a slight hint of contempt. "It must be nice being popular." "Eating her up?" Kei frowned. "Who did I eat?" Little Daisy placed her hands on her hips and snapped at him. "We heard you earlier. Hmp! Did it feel good forcing a little girl? Were you that desperate?" Little John watched from the side. Her sister was like a wife who had found her husband cheating on her. This was the reason why he always thought that her sister liked Kei; despite the fact that she insist that she likes a girl. "Ah! You''re talking about what happened earlier with Shino? Yes, I felt bad about forcing her earlier." Kei nodded his head in agreement. "But, I made sure to make it up to her and made her feel good. She enjoyed it and even asked me to do it again tonight. Isn''t that right Shino?" "It hurt at first, but then Master made me fell reaaaaaaaaally good afterward. Please do me again tonight, Master." Shino replied with a smile. There was still a slight blush on her face due to the massage session she had earlier. Kei had a smug look on his face and added a few more words. "Oh, I better let Milfa experience it too. I can''t play favorites. I must treat everyone equally." Little Daisy glowered at him and Kei shrank back from her stare. "Fi-Fine. I guess I can make an exception. I''ll do it to you too." Kei patted his chest with confidence. "I''m confident in my skills. I will make you feel so good that you would be begging me for more. If I get serious, I can even do it with the three of you at the same time!" Little Daisy smiled and move closer to Kei. Her hand rested on his waist. "You''re going to make me feel good? You''re going to make me beg for more?" Kei arrogantly raised his chin. "Of course! I''ll even add Tifa to the mix. Four people won''t be a problem! I could do it even with my eyes closed!" Little Daisy sneered and pinched his waist. She then twisted it in a 180 degree angle. That day, a loud scream broke the peace of the City of Freyport. It lasted for half a minute. The scream was like a pig being slaughtered and it caused some of the citizens to panic. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. The misunderstanding was cleared up later that afternoon, and Little Daisy locked herself in her room because of the shame and embarrassment. She came out around dinner time and apologized profusely to Kei. Kei in turn accepted her apology and even teased her that she should compensate him with her body. Little Daisy agreed without batting an eye. Shino and Milfa exchanged a glance. That night a blood curling scream shook the City of Freyport as Kei suffered the punishment of the two jealous girls beside him. Little John just shook his head from the side. ''You said, you don''t like him and you act this way. Daisy, just who is that girl that you love?''