"Mr. Rumbold, consider this piece of Rebirth Stone a return gift from Lilith."
Under Rumbold's surprised gaze, Orion placed the Rebirth Stone back into Rumbold's palm.
"Lord Orion, think this through—isn't that return gift pretty valuable?"
Orion merely shook his head with a mild laugh.
"No matter how precious an item might be, it can't compare to winning the favor and friendship of a Legendary-level powerhouse, right?"
Facing Orion's sincere, confident expression, Rumbold suddenly broke into hearty laughter.
"In that case, I'll skip the polite refusals and accept it!"
Orion nodded. Reciprocity is just common courtesy—and sometimes it's a way of breaking the ice and building trust. Then he stowed away the other piece of Rebirth Stone and briefly glanced at Thundar. Thundar, still displaying a bit of quick thinking, kept quiet about how many more pieces of Rebirth Stone he might've found.
"Take half a day to rest. Then we move." Experience tales with
After Orion gave the order, Thundar nodded and withdrew.
"Three-Tails, I'll be needing your guidance again," Orion called to Leonidas's representative, Three-Tails. The fellow had been hovering around like a silent bystander, taking everything in.
"Lord Orion, whatever orders you have, I'm here to carry them out. I exist solely to serve you!"
Orion nodded. Three-Tails was only at Alpha level, which made it natural for him to stay quiet while Orion and Rumbold planned and discussed.
Orion signaled to one of the succubus scouts, telling her to bring a Sentinel Corps squad and join Three-Tails's team.
…
Titanion Realm, Lokiviria.
While Orion was leading his cross-realm invasion, Gareth had already set out with the forces she'd gathered in the Thunderwood Forest, targeting territory further to the south—Lokiviria.
Lokiviria was the domain of the insect race, with a lord who shared its name. Among the insects, naming a territory after yourself was considered a badge of honor.
In a green woodland setting, countless snail-shell-like stone fortresses dotted the landscape—these fortresses were the palaces of insect folk, their prime nesting spots.
"My darling, lie still and take care of the baby in your belly," came the voice of Lokiviria himself, the insect lord, who'd evolved from a cockroach-like species. His kind boasted tremendous physicality and could lift many times their own body weight; they were also fast. Thanks to these advantages, they controlled a territory filled with abundant resources—a genuine paradise for insectfolk.
Eighty percent of the insect race kept Beast Forms—large, roach-like creatures—while only twenty percent had even the slightest chance of evolving into humanoid figures as they advanced, developing higher intelligence. That's why Lokiviria's clan put massive importance on their offspring—especially those that were humanoid.
"Lokiviria, be careful. The northern enemies are ruthless," said a pregnant woman resting inside one of the stone fortresses, gazing at Lokiviria with equal parts admiration and awe.
"My darling, you should understand that in the eyes of us southern lords, the lords up north are just barbarians."
Lokiviria brimmed with confidence. In the past, he'd fought off numerous invasions from Lord Ariel, and this new threat from the far north—a half-dragon named Gareth—didn't worry him at all.
"Stay put in the palace. Once I drive away the invaders, I'll take you south for a little trip. There are brighter flowers down there and even mightier thunderhawks!"
After consoling his beloved, Lokiviria left the palace. With one agile leap, he disappeared from sight.
Meanwhile, at a palace window, a beautiful woman radiating a wife-like gentleness stared at the northern sky, eyes smoldering with hatred like a living flame.
"So Gareth is the one invading Lokiviria—damn her!
And that giant lord… why didn't she come here?
Brother, I swear I'll avenge you!"
The woman leaning against the windowsill was Rowena, the last known survivor of the Skybond clan who had once fled on a thunderhawk, only to vanish for a long time.
Now, she stood there with a swollen belly, pregnant with an insect child. After fleeing the Thunderwood Forest, she'd been captured by a chieftain of the insect tribe. Admiring her beauty, he'd presented her to Lokiviria as a prize.
Lokiviria had a powerful physique—but each time he mated, it never lasted long, and he'd go through hundreds of women in a single night. Rowena was one of them.
By sheer twist of fate, she ended up carrying his child. The moment that unborn baby began to form, Lokiviria sensed it through their shared bloodline, and from then on, Rowena became his favored partner.
The reason? The odds of conceiving cross-species offspring were extremely low. In this world, it was widely accepted that such children often inherited exceptional traits. Having detected the baby in her womb, Lokiviria singled her out.
"Lokiviria, my man, please kill that bitch Gareth!"
Rowena prayed silently for her partner to succeed. Oddly enough, though Lokiviria was indeed an insect with incomplete evolution—his head still sprouted two antennae—Rowena had no hatred left for him, despite his savage behavior toward her that night.
Maybe it was because she'd been with so many men before that she'd grown numb. In this moment, the only thing that mattered to her was the child inside her.
"My baby, I'm sure you're blessed with extraordinary blood. After all, your father is a Legendary-level lord."
Rowena covered her belly, thoughts drifting back to memories of her beloved brother and the good old days.
…
Godforsaken Land, Eastern Region.
With Three-Tails leading the way, Orion and Rumbold advanced, sweeping aside various territories in their path.
Most of these territories held only the elderly, the sick, or the infirm. The healthy young humans, goblins, and night elves had all been instructed to migrate farther south days before.
"Lord Orion, looks like those three are playing games with us," Rumbold said, lowering his weapon. This battered, nameless city had few signs of life, and almost no corpses for him to convert. Consequently, he'd spent virtually no transcendent power.
"They're definitely up to something, but I wouldn't say they're not resisting," Orion replied quietly. He pointed toward the southeast.
"I can sense them in that direction, drawing closer. Maybe it won't be long before we've got a real fight on our hands!"