Arthas: "godforsaken land sounds hella interesting. I'm in!"
Arthas: "Hulk, what about you?"
void passage. Orion glanced upward but didn't notice any movement whatsoever.
Leonidas's invitation was something Orion initially wanted to refuse. Yet, after seeing Arthas agree to join Leonidas, Orion hesitated.
Between Leonidas and Arthas, Orion trusted Arthas more.
"Hey bro, got any advice?"
After some thought, Orion still decided to ask Arthas for help.
"Go if you get the chance. You might score a piece of the world's core—real World essence, the kind that directly powers you up."
Arthas offered his opinion. Orion didn't immediately say yes, though. He asked one more question:
"Bro, what exactly is this godforsaken land?"
"It's a catch-all term for worlds that got discarded by demigods or gods for various reasons."
"Usually these worlds are pretty small and home to all sorts of abandoned races."
"In most cases, an old-school Legendary-level being is their top dog."
Necro Realm, Bone Throne.
The moment Orion asked about the godforsaken land, Arthas knew Orion had taken the bait. So Arthas explained a bit more, subtly hinting and egging Orion on.
Before long, Orion messaged the channel again.
Hulk: "We're in the middle of a war. I'll need at least another month before I'll know if I can go!"
In a bit over a month, the dark beast tides should have died down. At that point, Lord Jorik of the ice plains might or might not invade Orion's territory—no one could say for sure.
Plus, whether Gareth decided to move south or lay low, she would let Orion know. After all, they were currently allies on paper, and they were supposed to check in with each other.
Leonidas: "Hahaha, no worries. Both that bag of bones and I need some time to prep. That godforsaken land isn't as weak as it sounds."
Leonidas: "Orion, let me know in advance when you decide."
Leonidas: "If you're in, make sure you prepare, too. The more of us there are, the stronger we'll be!"
Leonidas's messages raised Orion's eyebrows. He was starting to feel Leonidas was a bit unreliable. But recalling the two gifts Leonidas had given him, Orion's wariness eased.
"We'll see when the time comes," Orion muttered to himself. He gained a bit more insight into his Champions Alliance allies.
Truth be told, Orion really wanted to go—he was dying to broaden his horizons. Still, to be safe, he managed to secure a month of breathing room. Explore more stories with
Once the channel quieted down, Orion withdrew his consciousness from the Survivor's Platform and got back to guarding the void passage.
Unknown realm, deep sea.
Kraken watched the discussions in the Champions Alliance channel and felt nothing but envy toward Orion.
Kraken also wanted to join the invasion of a godforsaken land, but Leonidas hadn't invited him, and he wasn't about to tag along uninvited. Besides, interrupting his allies out of nowhere would just be rude.
A while back, Leonidas had indeed invited Kraken to invade a water-heavy world. They succeeded, and Kraken scored some of the world's core. His strength soared from lower Legendary level to middle in one shot. So, he really envied Orion now.
Plus, with Leonidas and Arthas—two arch lords—leading the way this time, Kraken figured it was practically a guaranteed win.
"What a lucky bastard," Kraken mused.
"Hulk might catch up to me real soon."
While feeling jealous of Orion, Kraken grew a bit unhappy with his own situation.
He awakened among the massive octopus clan in the deep sea, ruling over those waters. Any world he fought in basically had to be water-based, or his power would take a hit. That limitation kept people from taking him along, so he lagged a whole tier behind the other Champions Alliance members.
What Kraken didn't know was that past invitation had been Leonidas's way of evaluating him. Clearly, Leonidas wasn't all that impressed with Kraken's performance.
…
Blackstone City, western wall.
The battle had raged for three days straight, and at last, the endless dark creatures from afar began to dwindle.
Once again, the Stoneheart Horde had seized the victory.
"The smarter dark creatures are quietly backing off. What's left are mindless beasts that only know how to kill!"
Ever since the Alpha-level creatures on the dark side had high-tailed it, the outcome was pretty much set.
Eager for more battle glory, the Horde's own Alpha-level powerhouses joined the fray, hopping down from the walls with blades at the ready.
Even Lysinthia couldn't resist; she sent Twilight Viper into the fight.
Right now, only Delilah and Lilith remained on the wall. Lilith's line just now had been her reaction to the retreating dark creatures.
"We're well over halfway through winter. The dark beast tides will subside soon. Even though we took some losses, we got plenty out of it."
Delilah glanced at Lilith beside her. Ever since they'd come of age, it was rare for them to stand together like this. Their relationship, once so chilly, had gradually thawed as the succubus clan merged into the Stoneheart Horde.
"I didn't think you'd trust that quirky-haired girl so much," Delilah remarked suddenly, shifting the topic to Lysinthia.
Even though Delilah had been on the thunderhawk's back, she'd kept part of her attention on the overall battle. She definitely noticed Lilith letting Lysinthia use Twilight Viper to guard her.
Lilith said nothing. She couldn't exactly talk in public about her connections with Lysinthia and Orion.
"In any case, the succubus clan is your backbone," Delilah continued. "I want to remind you to guard your position carefully."
Backbone and a reminder—this was a sister's concern. Though indirect, Lilith understood it came from Delilah's care and the succubus clan's support.
"Orion's advancement to Legendary level opened up a whole new world for us," Delilah went on. "But remember, Legendary level may not be his limit."
"Do your best. Whether it's your own cultivation or making sure Orion stays fond of you, don't slack off."
With that, Delilah stood up and walked away.
Delilah reached the top of the city wall as a black shape streaked in from the sky. She leapt lightly and landed on the Four-Winged Blood Bat.
Then the sharp cry of a thunderhawk rang out above.
Having both the Thunderhawk and the Four-Winged Blood Bat by her side, Delilah was ready to survey the area around Blackstone City to prepare for the days ahead.
Lilith stayed on the wall, watching as the thunderhawk and Four-Winged Blood Bat vanished. A hint of pleasure flickered in her gaze.
Under the long night sky, time slipped by quickly.
The fiercest wave of dark creatures had already been crushed. From here on out, any attacks on Blackstone City would be small and scattered, probably no more than a thousand at a time.