"The Obsidian Golem tribe has no records related to Moonshadow Valley either," Prophet Onyx said, shaking his head. "From what I know, nothing significant has happened in the Black Forest in the past thousand years."
Although the Black Forest had many entrances to the abyss, those were layered abysses. The bottomless abyss Orion had mentioned seemed far-fetched even to Prophet Onyx.
Orion fell silent. If nothing major had happened in the Black Forest for the past millennium, it meant that the underground crevice outside Moonshadow Valley hadn't caused any disasters. Of course, it was also possible that something had happened, but it had gone unnoticed.
Orion knew all too well how dangerous the terrifying spiked worm was. Was that worm a lone creature, or were there more of them? And where exactly did that bottomless crevice lead?
Orion tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought.
After a long pause, he sighed. For now, there was no clear solution. The best course of action was to monitor the underground crevice closely.
"Prophet, go ahead and focus on your training. Once you've successfully ascended to Alpha-level, we'll discuss how to deal with the crevice."
Prophet Onyx nodded, understanding that the task Orion had in mind for him was likely related to the underground crevice.
"One last thing—make sure the horde's shamans tend to every injured warrior and help them recover as quickly as possible."
"Elder Rendall, I'll leave that to you."
Elder Rendall nodded. He had sustained some injuries himself, so overseeing the recovery of the tribe while healing his own wounds was a convenient task.
After addressing a few more minor matters within the horde and organizing the rotation of duties, Orion concluded the council meeting.
As the others left, Orion, physically and mentally drained, leaned back in his chair and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
---
When Orion awoke, Lilith and Lysinthia had already returned to the tent. The two women were busy preparing a meal, the aroma of the meat stew stirring Orion from his slumber.
He didn't disturb them, instead turning his attention to his data panel.
During the dark creatures' assault, Orion had obtained three survivor chests. What made him particularly interested in these chests was that one of them had been dropped by the Slaughter Tyrant.
His luck had been decent so far—the first two chests had yielded elite-level weapons: a large sword and a battle axe.
A flash of light signaled the opening of the final chest.
"What's this...?"
Orion's eyes narrowed as he looked at the statue before him.
[Slaughter Tyrant]
- Type: Statue
- Quality: Heroic (Rare, Growth Potential)
- Effect: Tyrant's Descent
- Effect Description: Once the statue absorbs enough faith energy, it can summon a powerful Slaughter Tyrant.
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- Statue Evaluation: Faith can make it grow. Why haven't you started gathering faith energy?
Orion stared at the miniature Slaughter Tyrant statue in his hand, his thoughts drifting far away.
He knew he had just acquired a rare item of immense value.
What made Orion fall into deep thought was the concept the statue introduced: faith energy.
How was faith energy collected? And even if he managed to gather it, how would he control it?
A series of questions flooded Orion's mind, forcing him to reconsider the nature of the world he lived in.
"Darling... darling..."
Lilith's soft voice pulled Orion out of his thoughts as she gently shook his arm.
Orion put the statue away and turned to her with a smile.
"What is it, my Lilith?"
Lilith kissed him lightly, assuming he was still thinking about the underground crevice in the eastern mountains.
"Darling Orion, you must be hungry. It's time to eat."
Orion reached out, lifting Lilith effortlessly into his arms, and gave her a long, passionate kiss.
"Mmm... tell me, what delicious things have you prepared?"
...
Orion was indeed hungry. With Lilith and Lysinthia tending to him, he ate until he was completely satisfied.
After the meal came the inevitable lovemaking. The two women were eager to please him, using their bodies to help him unwind and relieve his exhaustion.
---
The next morning, Orion woke to a tickling sensation.
Opening his eyes, he was greeted by a beautiful face—rosy cheeks, dark hair, large eyes, and most strikingly, a pair of red irises.
"Mas... Master!"
Orion blinked in surprise, his eyes widening as he looked at the small figure lying on his chest.
It wasn't a little girl, but rather the Spider Queen's juvenile form.
The Spider Queen's upper body resembled that of a young girl, while her lower body was that of a spider. She was oddly cute.
"Orion, look! I've been raising your little queen, and she's grown a bit!"
Lilith emerged from beneath the furs, her face playful and proud.
Clearly, Lilith had known about the Spider Queen's transformation for some time.
"She's evolved?"
Orion carefully examined the Spider Queen juvenile in his hands. He had high hopes for this pet.
In Orion's future plans, the Spider Queen would play a crucial role.
"Mas... Master!"
The Spider Queen seemed to enjoy the warmth of Orion's palm and the way he looked at her.
However, her intelligence was still quite low, and she could only manage to say the word "Master."
Despite this, her cute appearance won the affection of Orion, Lilith, and Lysinthia.
"Take good care of her for me."
Orion handed the Spider Queen to Lilith, along with a pouch of dark source crystals.
"Feed her with these. I want her to grow strong as soon as possible."
Lilith nodded, immediately giving the Spider Queen a dark source crystal.
The Spider Queen eagerly bit into the crystal, her small mouth gnawing at it.
"This little one's teeth are impressive—she can actually bite through dark source crystals!"
"Hehehe..."
Lilith giggled, casting a flirtatious glance at Orion, her thoughts clearly wandering.
Orion, puzzled by her reaction, playfully slapped her on the butt before turning to Lysinthia.
"You're coming with me for the next rotation."
"Yes, Master!"
---
Outside the tent, the wind and snow continued to blow.
Fortunately, the walls now protected the horde, allowing even the ordinary members to step outside during the winter to clear snow and contribute to the community.
As Orion walked through the camp, every giant, succubus, buffalofolk, and obsidian golem he passed greeted him with respect.
With the various tribes gradually integrating, Orion could feel the Stoneheart Horde coming together in a unique way.
Though there were still some stubborn members in each tribe who resisted the intermingling of races, Orion paid them no mind.
In the grand scheme of survival and progress, these people were like ants trying to stop a rolling boulder—doomed to fail.
---
Upon reaching the walls, Orion found Delilah and Earthshaker on duty.
"Darling, you're here!"
Orion nodded, his gaze sweeping over the cleared plaza outside the walls as he asked softly, "Any dark creatures last night?"
"Not a single one."
Delilah brushed a strand of windblown hair from her face, her eyes filled with seductive intent as she gazed at Orion. Her thighs rubbed together suggestively, and if Orion had wanted, she would have gladly made love to him right there.
But Orion had no intention of doing so in front of others. He shot Delilah a glance before saying, "Elder Rendall is injured, and Prophet Onyx is in training. We're short on hands for the next few days. Go get some rest."