Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 753: A Prison He Didn’t Want To Escape From [Part 2]

Earlier, Alex had asked Lapiz and Aeris’ mother, Queen Elaris, whether the Kingdom of Faelarun was facing any threats at the moment.

The Head Maid replied that the world was now at peace after the Demon Lord had been defeated.

After receiving an answer, he asked whether there was any news of a rebellion or civil war in Faelarun.

When he asked this question, the Head Maid only looked back at him as if he were mad.

“Who would be stupid enough to do such a thing?” Elaris asked.

“The elders who are against me marrying my Dragon companion?” Alex asked back.

“They are not against the marriage itself,” Elaris corrected. “If anything, they simply believe that an elf and a dragon can’t possibly sire a child together. They would even settle for you embracing the human lady you saved and having her give birth to a Half-Elf.

“In their eyes, that is better and more reliable than waiting for centuries until Queen Elyndra gets pregnant. Of course, many believe this union is doomed from the start. Since there are a few hardliners for Elven Supremacy, they insist that you also take on an elven concubine so you can preserve your bloodline.”

After pondering for a bit, Elaris suddenly came up with an idea.

“On second thought, you’re right, Your Majesty,” Elaris said in a serious tone. “A civil war might happen in the future if you can’t produce an heir. Your brother, Prince Fionn, might be forced to succeed you if he and Lady Eryniell produce an heir first.”

Instead of being concerned, a smirk appeared on Alex’s face.

“That is an interesting proposal,” Alex said calmly. “Should I just let my brother take over the throne? I actually have many things to do right now.”

Once again, Elaris looked at her King as if he were mad. In the end, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

“Excuse me for being disrespectful, Your Majesty, but this won’t do,” Elaris said before pulling Alex’s hand. “I will take you to the Inner Palace at once.”

Before Alex could even do anything, the scenery suddenly changed to the Inner Palace of Faelarun.

This sudden shift, as if they had just jumped through time, made Alex feel wary.

“My Lady, His Majesty is here to join you tonight.” Elaris knocked on the door. “Are you prepared to meet him?”

“Yes.”

A familiar voice soon spoke from the other side of the door.

After receiving confirmation, Elaris opened the door and moved to the side. She then bowed to Alex before making a gesture for him to enter.

Alex had no intention of going in at first, but he suddenly lost control of his body.

[Synchronization Rate: 12%]

‘Sh*t!’ Alex cursed internally, unhappy with how he momentarily lost control.

When he entered the room, his gaze landed on a young lady wearing a nightdress. The sight before him made his heart skip a beat.

A human lady stood there, her long black hair styled in soft waves.

Aside from the color of her hair and eyes, she looked very much like the person whom he held dear to his heart.

“Lapiz…” Alex muttered as he gazed at the lady, who looked at least in her mid-twenties.

Yes, it was none other than Lapiz in her mature form.

And frankly, Alex couldn’t help but swallow his saliva after seeing her in her nightdress.

“Please enjoy yourselves,” Elaris said as she carefully closed the door.

The sound of the door closing and the lock turning made the young man feel like he was trapped in a prison he didn’t wish to escape from.

Lapiz glanced at Alex before lowering her head. “Since you called me Lapiz, you must indeed be Alex. As for the Head Maid of this palace, she is none other than my mother. I’ve tried so hard to make her remember me. And I failed. Every time. At this point, she thinks I’m suffering from trauma after facing off against the demon army.”

The young lady then raised her head to stare at Alex. She looked so sad that the young man wasn’t able to stop himself from hugging her tightly.

“Alex, I’m afraid.” Lapiz hugged him back. “Sometimes, my body just moves on its own. I can’t control it. It’s like… it’s like I’m becoming someone else. Mother called me Lazuli earlier.”

“Lazuli…” Alex muttered. “Do you know your surname?”

“Yes,” Lapiz replied. “It’s Vademont. Lazuli Vademont. It’s the same surname as the Headmaster of Frieden Academy.”

Alex was starting to feel like he was on the verge of unlocking some kind of secret that not many people knew about.

However, he didn’t have enough information, so he couldn’t jump to conclusions.

“Lapiz, I want you to listen to me,” Alex said as gently as he could. “We are inside the Challenge of the Hermit right now. In this challenge, we all play different roles. For example, Astrea is my Queen, while Chuck is my younger brother.

“Those are the roles that we play in this world. But here is the thing. The more we play our roles, the higher the Synchronization Rate becomes. The higher the Synchronization Rate, the more we become the people that we portray.

“And if the Synchronization Rate reaches a hundred percent, we will completely become one with them. We will no longer remember our past, our family, nor our real identities. Just like what happened to your mother.”

Lapiz’s body shuddered after hearing Alex’s explanation. A wave of anxiety suddenly hit her, and Alex saw signs that she was about to have a panic attack.

The young man quickly acted and held her tighter, lightly patting her head to comfort her.

“Calm down, Lapiz,” Alex said. “I’ve been in this situation before, so I already know what to do. Don’t worry. We will be fine. Not only will we save your mother, but we will also save everyone else.”

“Are you sure?” Lapiz pulled back and stared straight into Alex’s eyes, trying to look for any signs of a lie in his gaze. “Can we really save my mother and return to the outside world?”

“Yes,” Alex replied. “I promise. So, believe in me.”

Seeing that his gaze was steady and his voice firm, Lapiz slowly calmed down.

“Thank you, Alex,” Lapiz said. “I’m calmer now.”

She then smiled as she reached out to touch Alex’s pointy ear, lightly holding it with her fingers.

“You look good as an elf,” Lapiz said. “I wish you were born as one. If you were, then maybe I could have met you sooner…”

The two then stared at each other for a while. Lapiz then slowly closed her eyes, but raised her chin as if she was expecting something.

The young man didn’t know if she was truly asking for a kiss or if she had suddenly undergone a change in her Synchronization Rate.

Still, seeing how beautiful she was, he slowly lowered his head to kiss her. Yet, before their lips could even touch, they heard a loud knock on the door all of a sudden, making both of them jump up in fright.

Before the two could even answer, the door opened, and soon, a beautiful elf who seemed to be in her mid-twenties appeared before them.

“…Did I come at the wrong time?” Aeris asked in a cold tone.

Lapiz hurriedly pulled back in response and took a few steps away from Alex, as if electrocuted by her sister’s gaze.

In return, Aeris glanced at her sister before shifting her gaze toward Alex. However, when she saw that Alex had pointy ears like those of an elf, the most popular Heroine of ELO actually blushed. It was as if she hadn’t noticed right away that Alex had turned into an elf after entering the Challenge of the Hermit.