Chapter 496: You Finally Returned

"Halt!" The guard that was keeping watch on the Kraetor Army's camp stopped a dozen black-robed men from entering their encampment. "State your business."

The leader of the black-robed men removed his hood, and smiled at the guards who had their weapons aimed at him.

"My name is Conner, and I would like to have an audience with her Majesty, Empress Sidonie," Conner said politely. "Can you please, pass the word that I am here to see her?"

The guards exchanged glances at each other. Their captain then stepped forward to appraise Conner from head to foot before giving his reply.

"Wait here, I'll inform Her Majesty," the Guard Captain replied before turning around to leave.

Earlier, one of the aides of their Young Empress, Priscilla, had given him a hand written letter from the Empress. The letter had said that if anyone named Conner, William, or Elandorr, came to ask to meet her then they should inform her right away.

The Guard Captain thought that this message was weird, but still decided to stay vigilant just in case the message of the Empress came to pass. He just didn't expect that these unexpected guests would arrive at midnight, when almost everyone in their camp was asleep.

-----

Meanwhile… back in the Royal Palace of the Hellan Kingdom.

"Do you really have to go?" Wendy asked. 

"I do," William replied as he hugged the blonde beauty in his arms. "Don't worry. I will definitely come back."

William then stared at his lovers who were looking at him with anxious expressions. Ashe was more worried than the rest because she had ventured in the Undying Lands with William.

She had proposed to go with him, but William firmly rejected her offer. What he was about to do was dangerous, and he didn't want to bring Ashe along, just in case something unexpected happened.

He had already asked King Minos to look after his lovers and make sure that they were safe from harm. William added that if he was not back before the second wall of the city was breached, King Minos would take everyone and return to the Minotaur's Sanctuary. 

The Gate of the Beginnings were still shut tight, but William had created a small gap that allowed a single person to pass. This was the backup plan that they had prepared if ever they failed in their war against the Elves. 

William was about to go when he heard a knock on the door of his room. Est opened it, and frowned.

Ariadne stepped inside the room to tell William that Conner and the members of his organization had left the city.

"Conner left this letter for you, along with the command token for the Super Soldiers and the Ash Golems," Ariadne said as she handed Conner's letter and two black tokens with different markings embedded on their surface.

William thanked her and read Conner's letter. The letter from the leader of Deus was brief and only told William that he had joined the Kraetor Empire.

Conner also mentioned that since they were in a hurry, the Altar that they had built inside the palace had not been dismantled. He even joked that the souls of the Minotaur Race might still be there, since no more than two days had passed since the battle. 

Lastly, the Leader of Deus wished him luck in the fight against the Elves and told him that the red-headed boy was lucky enough to survive the war, he would like to collaborate with him more in the future. 

"What a vile person," Wendy said after reading Conner's letter. "I knew I should have planted a lightning rune inside his room."

William chuckled as he patted the head of the raging Wendy who had thrown the letter in the fireplace. 

"Actually, I think this is a good idea," William said. "You all should leave this place as well. Return with King Minos to their Sanctuary. After I'm done here, I will follow all of you there as well."

"I won't go," Wendy replied in a heartbeat. "I already told you that I will fight by your side. I will only go if you leave with me."

William smiled as he looked at Ashe. 

His lover who had given him half of her heart and ensured the fast recovery of his Spiritual World. Thanks to her, he was now able to fight for an extended period of time without worrying about a Spiritual Collapse.

"I will also stay," Ashe declared. "I feel the same way as Wendy. We will only leave, if you leave with us."

William nodded. He had shared many intimate moments with her and knew that the mermaid had a surprisingly feisty side on her. 

"Same goes for me as well," Est commented from the side. "On behalf of the Hellan Kingdom, thank you, Will. I am honored to have you in my life."

"Oi, don't say such ominous things. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to raise a flag?"

"Raise a flag? What flag?"

William scratched his head as he looked at the handsome boy who was tough on the outside, but a softe on the inside. He had known this secret after he had spent some time in training the passive, silver-haired beauty, in his Spiritual World.

There were even times during their training when William felt that he was corrupting a pure and innocent girl. Still, he had already accepted Est as his third lover, and she was very precious to him.

Ariadne watched all of this from the side with a smile. She was someone whose face was meant to be forgotten, so she felt jealous of how intimate William was with his lover and friends. 

'So, he chose this path,' Ariadne thought. She had seen a glimpse of this future, but she didn't know how it ended. Even so, according to what she saw in that future, William will go to that place.

And she would be waiting for him there.

-----

"Are you sure about this, partner?"

"Oh? I'm your partner now?"

"Of course," Psoglav said. "I'm still waiting for more juicy rewards in the future. You still haven't paid me for my participation in this war. I expect that I will be rewarded handsomely for my efforts."

William eyed the Demonic Dog with an understanding gaze. Although Psoglav was joking, and even smiling, its smile never reached its eye.

There was sadness and hurt in Psoglav's single eye that looked at the world for what it truly was. 

"What do you want as payment?" William asked. He knew that Psoglav wouldn't approach him without a good reason. 

"This is what I like about you," Psoglav replied as he patted William's shoulder. "You're fast on the pickup."

"Spill it out."

"I want Elandorr's head."

William narrowed his eyes. Elandorr was someone he had planned to kill, but it seems that the Demonic Dog was also thinking of the same thing. 

After a staring contest that lasted for two minutes, William closed his eyes as an internal battle waged inside his heart. In the end, he sighed and reluctantly nodded his head.

"Fine. But, on one condition," William said.

Psoglav crossed its arms over its chest. "What is it?"

"Don't make it swift."

"I have no intention of doing that. It is not only me that wants a piece of him. I'm afraid that Kasogonaga might call dibs on him first, so I decided to talk to you before our rainbow-colored friend finished mourning."

William nodded as he placed his hand over the monument that would take him to the Undying Lands. However, he didn't leave right away. He glanced at the Demonic Dog who still had its arms crossed over its chest.

"Do you eat Elves?" WIlliam inquired out of curiosity. 

"I don't," Psoglav replied. He then grinned and showed his razor sharp teeth to make a point. "But this time, I will make an exception."

William smirked as he took out the Relic of the Oathkeeper from his storage ring. A few moments later, he vanished without a trace.

------

Unlike the darkness in the real world, the Undying Lands were blessed with sunlight and clear skies. William stood in front of Avalon, as he took in the scenery of the ancient fortress. 

The last Bastion of Mankind.

The Fortress that withstood the Era of the Gods.

Avalon.

"You… finally… returned."

A hoarse voice said from within the depths of the Fortress. William's face remained calm as he listened to the voice, while watching giant gates of the fortress open wide.

"This time… you… will not be… able to leave. How dare you… steal the treasures… of Humanity?!"

The last words were said with such intensity that the Undying Lands trembled. Soon, the sky darkened as bone dragons, bone wyverns, and other flying beasts that had died thousands of years ago came to life.

Seated on their backs were flaming skeleton riders that looked down on William with the indifference of the undead.

Three Bone Dragons that were different from the others hovered above Avalon. Mounted on top of them were three High-Tiered Undead that William had seen for the first time.

Millions of undead swarmed out of the fortress. Skeleton Soldiers, Ghouls. Draugr, Revenants, Wraiths, Banshees, and other beings that William was now seeing for the first time. They came out like a tide and they were endless.

While this was happening, The System was giving William a series of notifications on the composition of the Undead Army. The Half-Elf thought that he was just seeing things when he saw that the number of the undead were over twenty million. 

But, that was not all. The undead horde parted and three Gigantic Beings stepped out from the gates of the fortress.

One was a Giant Skeleton, over twenty meters tall wearing a crown on its head. It was holding a shield and sword that seemed to be made from pure adamantium. 

The other, a Dark-Skinned Draugr holding a massive black sword. Its glowing blue eyes stared at William as if it couldn't wait to slice him in half.

Lastly, a being who seemed to be riding on an undead horse holding a bloody red spear in its hand. Among the Beasts in the undead horde, it was giving off the most powerful presence.

A presence that wouldn't lose to Drauum and King Minos.

The second strongest being inside the undying lands.

The Devil of the Sea.

Nuckelavee.