Lux and his entourage rested for a full six hours before finally regrouping to challenge the Gate of Conquest.
This particular gate was strongly requested by the Vahan Empire, which made Lux wonder if the gate had something inside that Emperor Andreas wanted.
Since his original target was also the Gate of Conquest, he had no problems with their request.
However, he made it look like he was very reluctant to agree to their condition, which forced Aron, who was Emperor Andreas' right-hand man, to talk to him in private.
The High-Ranker secretly passed a storage ring to the Half-Elf, which contained a silver token, half a million gold coins, as well as a deed of a plot of land that was located near the capital of the Vahan Empire.
Aron told him that Emperor Andreas wanted to fix their shaky relationship and promised the Half-Elf that, if he built his Guild Headquarters in the Vahan Empire, he would get the Emperor's full support.
Lux thanked Aron and even showed interest in the plan to build a Guild Headquarters in the Vahan Empire. Of course, this was only on the surface. Deep inside, Lux was sneering at them for their futile attempts to butter him up after what they had done to him in their capital city of Dainsleif.
"We are going to challenge the Gate of Conquest this time," Lux said as he looked at the people around him. "I'm sure you have already experienced what it was like to challenge the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon. I don't have to remind you all how hard it is. With that said, I want everyone to listen to my orders, no matter how weird it may seem."
Seeing that all of them still had a reluctant look on their faces, the Half-Elf decided to brag a little bit to make them step up their game.
"As someone that had conquered two of the Gates of the Sacred Dungeon, I already know what I'm talking about," Lux stated. "None of you have done it, despite the fact that some of you are stronger than me. Clearing a dungeon doesn't only require having a high rank. It also requires everyone to work together to achieve a common goal, just like I, and my comrades here, have achieved.
"If you don't choose to cooperate, that is fine with me. However, don't forget that you are now being watched. If this expedition fails then, hehehe…"
The Half-Elf gave the Factions of the Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, and Xynnar Warpact a devilish smile, making all of their livers itch.
Even those who were watching them from the outside could feel the pressure because their counterparts were observing their representatives as well.
If the mission truly failed, everyone would know who was to blame, and that would put them at a disadvantage when future negotiations for the exploration of the Domain of the Fallen, as well as the Sacred Dungeon, were held again.
Malcolm knew that if he f*cked this up, he would lose Emperor Andreas' support, making him unable to climb up in the ranks of nobility because of his lackluster performance.
Although he didn't like Lux, he would hate it if his future prospects became dim because of a personal grudge against him. So, for the time being, Malcolm made a vow to himself to do what he was ordered to do, even if it meant obeying the Half-Elf's orders to the dot.
Seeing that his point had been carried across to everyone, the Half-Elf nodded and pressed his right hand over the Gate of Conquest.
Everyone on the expedition was now in his party, so they would accompany him as members of his group.
A moment later, all of theme bathed in a radiant light, momentarily blinding them.
Not long after, they found themselves standing at a hill, overlooking a fortress.
"That's the flag of the Ammar Kingdom," Malcolm stated as he pointed at the flags that were fluttering on the ramparts of the fortress. "There is no mistake about it. This is a fortress that belongs to the Ammar Kingdom."
Several months ago, Malcolm and his team entered the Gate of Conquest, while Lux, and his friends entered the Gate of War.
Malcolm's team joined the Ammar Kingdom, which was backed by Dwarven Technology.
Lux's team, on the other hand, joined the Yelan Kingdom, which was supported by Gnome Technology.
That was also when Lux was given the Pseudo-Legendary Item, Map Projector, which he had merged with his Soul Book, allowing him to see friends and foes within a three-mile radius around him.
For some unknown reason, the two teams found themselves on the same battlefield but on different sides and were forced to fight against each other, with Lux and his team emerging victorious.
Since then, Malcolm had suffered many setbacks every time he tried to reclaim his honor.
Unfortunately, his recent expeditions hadn't been successful, and now, this was probably the last chance he had to redeem himself.
'Just as I expected, we are still brought to this place,' Lux thought.
Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, and Xander, who fought against the Ammar Kingdom in the past all had frowns on their faces because they had already labeled the enemy of the Yelan Kingdom as their enemy.
"Let's go to the Fortress," Lux said after pondering for a minute. "If someone asks, tell them we are a Mercenary Group called Ars Goetia. I'll do the talking, so make sure to not say anything out of place. Do you understand, Cai?"
Lux smiled as he patted the Boar's head, making the latter shudder.
"O-Of course! Hahaha! You know me, I'm very tight-lipped!" Cai replied. "You can count on me!"
"Fei!" Fei Fei, who was perched on top of Cai's head, looked at Lux with a pout.
The Half-Elf chuckled and also patted the baby Slime's head, making the latter smile.
"Follow me," Lux ordered as he walked towards the Fortress.
After what happened in the Domain of the Fallen, everyone followed his orders to the dot, as if afraid that some random Argonaut-Ranked Monster would appear and gobble them whole.
