Albert Antstein, William's Fifth Master and renowned Alchemist in the Kraetor Empire, drank a bottle of wine as he looked up at the beautiful moons in the sky. Sometimes, he would do these things to remember the past that he kept hidden inside his heart.
Just like everyone else, he had been surprised when he heard the world-wide announcement that had brought William to the forefront of the young generation. No one had expected such a feat, not even Albert who already held William in high esteem.
Although the one that won the Tournament of Champions was Lilith, her fame was short-lived and overshadowed by William's brilliance. How can the Champion of a Tournament compare to the one that conquered the Floor which had stopped mankind's advance in the Tower of Babylon?
The two achievements were like Heaven and Earth.
The Championship could be won by anyone, but clearing the 51st Floor was something that even the most powerful beings in the World of Hestia didn't dare to challenge. Everyone had already accepted that the 51st Floor was unconquerable.
But, on the last day of the Tournament of Champions, all of them were proven wrong. The Tower of Babylon was once again open for conquest, and all the heroes of the world are now headed there to mark their names in the pages of history.
"As expected of your son, Maxwell," Albert said as he lifted the bottle of wine in the direction of the Silvermoon Continent. "Cheers to having one hell of a son."
After praising his old companion, Albert drank the wine and relished its taste.
"I wonder, if Arwen chose me instead of you, would my son be as good as yours?" Albert muttered. He was one of Arwen's many admirers, but due to him being a Half-Elf, he didn't dare to cross that line and simply watched from the side.
Maxwell was different from him. He was strong, bold, and confident. Not even the most beautiful Saintess of the World Tree was able to resist his charms.
"I'm still more handsome than you." Albert chuckled as he drank the rest of the wine in the bottle. "You're just more confident than me."
The memories of accompanying Maxwell in the Central Continent passed through his eyes. He had suffered many difficulties because his close friend liked to use violence to get what he wanted. Well, he had that ability to do that because he was the one and only Dungeon Conqueror in the world.
A Profession that was akin to a God of Death that no one dared to face head-on.
"One year from now my friend, I will fulfill my promise to you," Albert said softly. "Your son will definitely need this power. A power that you had decided to pass unto him, before he was even born."
The great Alchemist glanced at the moon one last time before walking towards the Red Light District of the Empire. He was growing sentimental again, and he needed the warmth of others in order to appease the coldness he was feeling inside his heart.
——
"Elliot, use Lightning Bolt!" William ordered.
Elliot pointed his fingertip at B1 and B2 who were watching their training exercise from the sky. A streak of lightning shot out from the Familiar's fingertips, and flew towards the two dumb birds at incredible speeds.
Unfortunately, B1 and B2 had died countless times in the past and had accumulated plenty of experience. They had been active during William's different campaigns and could be considered part of the Elite Circle under his wing.
The two birds moved their bodies to the side and dodged Elliot's bombardment from the ground.
William, who was observing his Familiar's battle capabilities nodded his head in appreciation at the improvement of the Rainbow Birds who originally only knew how to use suicide attacks.
"I'm Rolling!"
Kasogonaga's adorable voice sounded across the training field as he sparred against Conan.
The Iron Wall that the Familiar had erected was pierced through by the rolling calamity that had already reached the pinnacle of the Centennial Rank.
Kasogonaga was nearing its breakthrough, so it decided to visit William on the Floor of Asgard to play. This was when he saw the Half-Elf training his familiars and decided to join in the fun.
Conan, whose shield was destroyed, didn't flinch and summoned his Deathscythe. He met Kasogonaga's rolling attack head on, which sent the little familiar flying several meters in the air due to the rainbow-colored Anteater's powerful rolling attack
"Iron Fortress!" Conan shouted and a magic circle appeared under his feet.
A miniature Fortress the size of a small hill rose from the ground surrounded him. Kasogonaga collided with this fortress and kept on rolling, with the intention of breaking past its defenses.
Conan gritted its teeth as he focused all of his powers to block the Anteater's powerful attack. A few seconds later, Kasogonaga was repelled by the Iron Fortress, which sent it tumbling towards the ground.
"Not bad," Kasogonaga nodded its head in approval. "You directed all of your defensive abilities on the single point where I attacked, which nullified the force behind my attack. You have a good battle sense, I like it!"
"Kekeke, you're not bad yourself," Conan said with a grin. However if one looked closely, his forehead was covered in sweat. Clearly, blocking Kasogonaga's single attack wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Right now, Elliot and Conan were equivalent to Class B Monsters. They were as strong as Psoglav when William had first met him.
The Familiamancer Job Class had already been maxed out, so he would need to visit Celeste in Hestia Academy, and pray in the Temple that she had established in order to advance the Prestige Class to a higher level, which was the Familiamancer Overlord.
William was quite satisfied with Elliot's Firepower, and Conan's defense. Although they weren't as strong as Chloee at the moment, they were still good additions to his team, and could play their roles as support.
Right now, William no longer needed to hide that he could wield the power of Lightning. He had already become one of the powerhouses in the Central Continent, and he was not afraid to have a confrontation with the Demons in the Demonic Continent.
In fact, after seeing how the bastards treated his wife, Chiffon, he was itching to pay a visit to her Father, and unleash a Thunderstorm that would devastate Luciel's Domain.
Right after dinner, William and Chiffon once again lay in the open fields of Asgard to look at the stars in the sky. After what happened a week ago, Bacon no longer came in between William and Chiffon for fear that William would once again toss it inside his Thousand Beast Domain as punishment for being the third wheel.
This time, the golden piglet obediently rested at Chiffon's left side, and closed its eyes to sleep.
"Big Brother, we will be able to leave after a week," Chiffon said with a tinge of regret. In truth, she wanted to stay in the Floor of Asgard for a little while longer because she was still in the Honeymoon Phase of their relationship.
"Yes," William replied and gently squeezed her hand. "After that, I need to prepare for my battle with Rebecca. This agreement is already long overdue."
Chiffon hummed softly. For her, it was Rebecca's loss that she decided to break her engagement with William. Her Big Brother was such an amazing person, and a very rare find.
The pink-haired girl couldn't understand why the so-called genius of the Hellan Kingdom didn't put William in her eyes when both of them were still young.
"Big Brother, do you like her?" Chiffon asked. This was the first time she had asked this question to William, and she was very curious whether the Half-Elf had feelings for his Ex-Fiance or not.
"I don't like or dislike her," William answered. "She was just a baby when our grandparents decided to tie us together in marriage. Of course, sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if the two of us got along, but that is all in the past.
"Right now, I don't have any intention of making her my fiance. Also… there is a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I am forgetting something important."
"Are you talking about Belle?"
Chiffon already knew of Belle's existence because William had asked her to help him remember his loved one that he had left back on Earth.
"No." William shook his head firmly. "I still remember… Belle. I still have memories of her. What I am talking about are other things."
Chiffon shifted her attention from the stars to William and saw the Half-Elf looking back at her. Their eyes met and their affectionate gazes made each other feel loved.
"Chiffon, no matter what happens in the future, will you continue to remain by my side?" William asked.
The pink-haired girl nodded and gave William a hug.
"No matter what happens, in the future, I will continue to be with Big Brother," Chiffon said. "Even if my body were to turn into ashes, I will always be by your side. I promise."
William closed his eyes and gently patted her head.
Ever since he had cleared the 51st Floor and obtained Enuma Elish, he started to recognize a vague sense of awareness regarding certain things.
Of worlds being destroyed one after the other, and Champions fighting with their lives on the line to protect everything that was dear to them.
Enuma Elish…
The Tablet of Creation…
A testament of a world that once existed.
A world that had now ceased to exist.
Only the faint memories of the wills that resided within its tablets, allowed William to take a peek into the past glories of Gods long forgotten.
As William pushed away the uneasiness that was rising in his heart. The soft sleeper breaths of Chiffon reached his ears.
He held her firmly in his embrace, as he uttered a silent prayer in his heart.
A prayer where he wished for the safety of the people important to him. After saying his prayer, he then fell asleep, holding his lover in his arms and fell into a familiar dream.
A dream of a world covered in blazing flames, and a God laughing at the destruction that was taking place. Soon, these blazing flames were engulfed in darkness, and the cry of a Phoenix resonated within the sky.
Within the darkness, a soft and silky voice reached William's ears.
"Pendragon, I don't need you to light up my world. All I want is for you to just sit with me in the Darkness."
That was the last thing that William heard before he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.. Unaware that somewhere far away, beyond the world of Hestia, and the stars in the sky, the Harbinger of Destruction was inching its way closer with each passing day.
