Outside of the Domain of the Fallen…
'That kid sure has guts,' Aron thought as he looked at Lux's back from Malcolm's artifact.
He was not the only one that had this thought as almost everyone, who had seen how Lux and his team were killed by the Vice General, looked at their group with solemn gazes.
When Lux died, everyone was shocked at first.
However, after the shock receded, all of them started gloating because they felt that the Half-Elf deserved to be knocked off his high horse for a change, to make him more humble.
Gerald, Rainer, and Natasha had the opposite opinion because they knew what kind of person Lux was.
He was someone who persistently tried to challenge the trial in order to gain the right to enter Elysium.
In the past, the Half-Elf would always be seen training alone in order to increase his stamina, endurance, as well as his willpower in order to pass the test every year despite his weak body.
Now that he had stepped on the same playing field with his peers, his growth had not only shocked them, but also made them wonder how Lux changed from a zero to a hero.
"Gerald, it seems that your boy still thinks he can turn this situation around," one of the Rankers that belonged to the Six Kingdom said in a teasing tone.
"Oh? You think he can't do it?" Gerald asked in a challenging tone.
"What if I said that he can't do it?" the Ranker asked back. "What are you gonna do?"
"How about we start a wager?" Gerald proposed. "Twenty-one million gold coins. I will bet on my boy clearing the Gate of Conquest, do you dare to wager against me?"
"Hah! Who's scared of whom? Twenty-one million? How about we raise the stakes 50 million!"
"Okay. Let's ask that pointy-eared Elf over there to be our guarantor, and everyone else here to be a witness. We will pass the money to him."
The Ranker laughed because he thought that Gerald was just trying to save face due to the mishap that had happened to the Half-Elf.
The "Pointy-Eared Elf" that Gerald referred to was the Ambassador of the Elswyth Kingdom.
He and Gerald had known each other for a long time and could be considered good friends. Because of this, he didn't take offense at his friend's words and happily collected the gold coins from both sides.
Although he was skeptical about Lux's chances of winning, he decided to stay neutral and wait to see how things would play out.
"I also want to bet fifty million gold coins," Rainer declared. "Who wants to bet against me? Naturally, I will side with Lux."
"Hahaha! I will not reject free money," one of the Rankers of the Skystead Alliance said and agreed to take on Rainer's offer.
This time, Rainer chose Aron to be a Guarantor because he was a big name in the Vahan Empire. The Ranker of the Skystead Alliance had no objection and agreed that the right-hand man of Emperor Andreas would hold their wager.
Similar bets started, prompting even the always calm Natasha to bet on Lux's side.
If only Lux knew that the adults were making a wager against each other, he would have definitely joined in the fun and wagered the remaining gold coins in his possessions as well.
—----------
Yelan Army Headquarters…
"How did you manage to pass the sentries around our camp?" Watson asked Lux, who was calmly drinking some tea in front of him.
"Business secrets," Lux replied after placing his tea cup on top of the table. "So, will you allow us to join your campaign, General Watson?"
"Before we answer that, what happened to the rest of your Mercenary Group?" Sherlock interjected as he stared at Lux with narrowed eyes. "I believe that this isn't even half of your force, am I right?"
The Half-Elf lightly cleared his throat before answering Sherlock's question.
"Actually, it is embarrassing to say this, but they decided to stay with the Ammarians," Lux replied.
"Oh? Why did they stay?" Sherlock arched an eyebrow after hearing Lux's answer.
"Let's just say that they think that joining you will make them lose more than the rewards you promised them."
"I see. Truly unfortunate."
The Gnome Great General smiled at the Half-Elf as if weighing his words. A few minutes later, Sherlock took out a scroll in his hand and passed it over to Lux.
As soon as the Half-Elf touched the scroll, a series of notifications appeared in front of him.
—-----------
< Ding! >
< Do you want to retake the Quest, War of the Lions? >
< Yes / No >
—-----------
Lux chose yes in a decisive manner as he unfurled the scroll in his hands, prompting more text to appear in front of him.
—---------
< War of the Lions >
Mission Rating: SS
Although the Yelan Army had managed to thwart the repeated attempts of the Ammarian Army to retake their territories, the Generals of the Yelan Kingdom had a feeling that this battle of attrition would not go in their favor if the fighting was prolonged.
Because of this, they were trying to find ways to strike a decisive blow to their enemies, preventing them from increasing the number of their troops on the frontlines.
—---------
< Mission Objectives >
– Help the Yelan Kingdom break the stalemate and allow them to get the upper hand in this war.
< Rewards >
– Rewards will depend on your performance on the battlefield.
—---------
< Secondary Quest >
– Killing Lions
< Killing Lions >
– For every General you and your Mercenary Group kill, you will be awarded with 1 Million Gold Coin Each and 1 Pseudo-Legendary Equipment of your choice.
– If you and your Mercenary Group kill Great General Rafael of the Ammarian Kingdom, all of you will be awarded an additional 1 million Gold Coin Each, and 2 Pseudo-Legendary Equipment of your choice.
< Secondary Quest Additional Rewards >
– Rewards will depend on the contribution you made in killing the Generals of the Ammarian Kingdom.
—---------
< Bonus Rewards >
– Depending on your overall performance in the war. You will receive an exclusive reward just for you.
—---------
Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, Xander, Henrietta, and Malcolm's eyes widened in shock after seeing the information that appeared before them.
Compared to the rewards of the quest they had accepted for the Ammarian Camp, the Yelan Quest was much better.
However, they also noticed something different in it as well.
The first one they took notice of was the Mission Rating.
The Quest from the Ammarian Kingdom had a Mission Rating of S, while the Yelan Kingdom had a Mission Rating of SS.
The Mission Rating showed how hard a mission was, with SSS as the hardest of them all.
After personally dying in the hands of the Vice Commander, all of them understood that this mission was not going to be a walk in the park.
"I accept this mission," Lux said as he signed the contract that was given to him by General Sherlock.
"Good!" Watson laughed. "Having you around puts my heart at ease, Lux."
"I feel the same way as well," Sherlock smiled before making a gesture for Lux to follow him to the table where the map of the battlefield was spread out.
Now that Lux and his team were on their side, it was only normal for them to be briefed about the overall situation on the battlefield.
The information made Lux, and the others, realize how hard their current mission was going to be.
