Late into the night, Orion sat alone in his tent, examining the final item from the survivor’s chests.
It was another scroll, but this one radiated a golden glow.
An Alpha-level scroll—the second Alpha-level item Orion had ever obtained.
[Triple Mirror Image]
- Quality: Alpha-level
- Description: Your existence gives birth to reflections. Three mirror images, bound by blood and fate.
Without hesitation, Orion tore the scroll apart, learning the skill immediately.
After reading the description of [Triple Mirror Image], Orion frowned.
The skill was somewhat complex, requiring him to experiment and explore its true potential.
The description reminded Orion of the three identical Wolf Kings he had encountered.
However, this wasn’t something he needed to rush. He had plenty of time to figure it out later.
Shifting his focus, Orion turned his attention to the Survivor’s Platform, leaving a message for Scarecrow to express his interest in purchasing food supplies.
After waiting for a while, there was no response.
"Winter’s over, and Scarecrow’s gone offline again?"
Orion sighed, pondering for a moment before sending a message to Arthas instead.
"Is there a way to bring someone back to life in this world?"
The question stirred something deep within Orion, leaving him restless.
"Yes," Arthas replied quickly. "We were all destroyed in a great calamity, yet here we are, resurrected. Haven’t you already been brought back to life?"
Arthas’s response sent Orion into deep thought.
That’s true. If even I was resurrected, then what’s impossible?
Orion’s previous life on Earth had been in the real world.
Although he didn’t know if Earth had somehow merged with this world, the fact that survivors like him were being resurrected was already a miracle in itself.
Arthas’s message seemed to be telling him: If you believe, then it’s possible.
After a long silence, Orion clarified his question further.
"Can we resurrect someone ourselves?"
This question carried a deeper meaning, one Orion was certain Arthas would understand.
"The stronger you are and the more you know, the greater your chances."
Arthas’s response wasn’t a direct answer, but it wasn’t a denial either.
Orion exhaled slowly.
No confirmation, no rejection—this was the greatest hope he could ask for, wasn’t it?
It all depended on how he chose to interpret it.
After another long pause, Orion sent another message.
"Someone close to me has been dead for some time. Do you have a way to bring them back?"
"With my current abilities, true resurrection is impossible."
"What about in a different sense?"
"There is a way—to transform them into an undead being. For example, a lich… or something like me, a skeleton."
Orion let out a long sigh, disappointment and frustration weighing heavily on him.
"You must understand," Arthas added, "that perhaps even you and I are not truly resurrected."
This final message hit Orion like a falling apple, striking him with sudden clarity.
In that moment, everything made sense, and he felt a wave of acceptance wash over him.
If even I am like this, why should I worry about others?
Orion sat in silence for a long time. As dawn approached, he finally replied to Arthas.
"Thank you."
"Recommend a method to me—something that can awaken a soul."
Orion’s request had changed. It was no longer rigid or demanding perfection.
"Awakening a soul is no small feat," Arthas replied. "In this world, when life ends, souls are drawn to the gods."
"To retrieve a soul from a god, given your current status, the best method is through sacrifice—offering more and higher-quality souls to the deity."
"Of course, some gods may prefer blood, while others may demand faith."
"But I must warn you: using faith to exchange for a soul is the easiest yet most troublesome method. I strongly advise against it."
Along with this message, Arthas sent detailed instructions for a sacrificial ritual.
"Thanks. If you’re charging a consultation fee, just add it to my tab."
Orion waited for a reply, but none came.
"Hmph. Clever bastard. A favor without a price is the hardest to repay," Orion muttered to himself.
The next morning.
After giving Rolan some guidance, Orion returned to his tent.
Lilith handed him a meal of roasted meat and porridge, which he devoured hungrily. After wiping his mouth, he pulled out the frost giant egg from his belongings.
"This was found inside a frost giant’s corpse. It’s yours."
Lilith accepted the egg, her expression a mix of surprise and delight.
Moments later, she gasped in shock.
"An Alpha-level pet egg?"
Orion nodded, smiling without saying a word, watching Lilith with curiosity.
The Taming Scroll Orion had obtained earlier hadn’t been given to anyone else—it had been handed to Lilith.
This was why she was able to sense the egg’s Alpha-level nature after a brief examination.
"This is your first pet. Do you like it?"
Orion’s tone carried a hint of pride, as if he wanted to show off in front of his woman.
Lilith, understanding his intent, leaned in to kiss him passionately. Then, without hesitation, she stripped off her clothes and offered herself completely…
---
Time flew by like an arrow, slipping away unnoticed.
In the face of time, all living beings were equal, pushed forward relentlessly.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
One day, inside the chieftain’s tent.
"Chieftain, the number of live captives you requested has been gathered. They’ve all been delivered to the underground fissure."
A month ago, Orion had approached Rendall with a peculiar request: to capture a large number of live creatures and deliver them to the underground fissure guarded by the cave spiders.
Rendall, assuming it was some strange preference of Lorelia’s, didn’t think much of it and accepted the task.
Over the next month, the hunting party and cannon fodder troops worked together, not only capturing fleeing icefield snow wolves and frost giants but also hunting high-tier beasts from the Black Forest.
It took an entire month of relentless effort to meet Orion’s demand.
"Are you sure the number is exactly ten thousand?"
"Yes. One-third are icefield snow wolves, one-third are frost giants, and the remaining third are beasts."
Orion nodded, his gaze drifting toward Blackstone City outside the tent, his expression contemplative.
"You’re not on rotation tonight, are you?"
"No, I’m not."
Rendall looked puzzled, unsure why Orion was asking.
"I’ll take the rotation tonight. Why don’t you come by and chat with me for a while?"
"Uh… sure!"
Rendall was clearly confused, but he agreed without hesitation.
"Dace, send word to Onyx and Thundar. Tonight, the cannon fodder troops and cavalry unit will conduct a joint drill." Find more to read at empire
Orion’s voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.
Rendall didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t unusual for Orion to oversee training during his rotation.
Even Rendall was curious to see how much the cavalry unit had improved after a month of training.