"Trying to run? Not a chance!"
Orion transformed into a streak of lightning, hurling tridents from his hands one after another. Caleb, who had already fled some distance, heard the crackling of electricity and the piercing shriek of tridents ripping through the air. He was forced to slow down and dodge, veering off his path.
Orion seized the opportunity, closing in with murder in his eyes.
Rumbling thunder tore across the sky as lightning clashed with flickers of black energy—both forces colliding and annihilating each other.
Orion and Caleb were locked in a fierce aerial battle.
When the lightning dissipated and the black aura vanished, Orion floated above, staring at the gaping wound in Caleb's neck.
"Embrace your death, corrupted human."
With an echoing crash, a bolt of lightning hurdled down from the clouds and struck Caleb, blowing his body to pieces. A pitch-black Lord's Stone fell into Orion's hand, and a satisfied smirk formed at the corners of his mouth.
Caleb also dropped a "survivor chest," which Orion claimed into his Survivor's Platform. Murktooth, for his part, had only yielded a Lord's Stone and no chest.
Not far off, the battle between Rumbold and Jarod was ending as well. Jarod's transformed bolt form was now ensnared by Rumbold. The odd weapon in Rumbold's hand had turned flexible like a whip, binding and restricting Jarod's movement.
"Snapping in half is your destiny," Rumbold growled.
Crack!
Rumbold drew out his own spine and brought it down in a fierce chop on the imprisoned bolt, splitting it into two. Moments later, the sundered bolt fell away to reveal Night Elf Jarod, cut right through the waist, his body lifeless.
"Lord Orion, it seems your opponent was stronger than the elf I took on, but you still finished before me," Rumbold said with a chuckle.
Orion only shook his head. He could sense that, for whatever reason, the lords of this godforsaken land were generally weaker than typical lords elsewhere.
Orion had fought Jorik and the centaur khan Ironhoof and knew their abilities far surpassed Caleb's.
To be fair, when he still wielded his massive shield, Caleb's defense had been formidable. Yet once he lost that shield, his power plummeted, forcing him to flee.
"Caleb's combat strength nosedived once he couldn't use his shield," Orion murmured. "I can't find much pride in taking him down."
"Heh, Orion, I think I've got an answer," Rumbold said. He bent over, picked up the bow lying next to Jarod's corpse, and handed it to Orion.
Stay tuned to
"That Night Elf drew power from transforming into a living arrow thanks to this bow. He assumed I wouldn't know his weakness. But after following my master around, invading countless godforsaken lands, I've seen plenty of similar fighting styles."
Orion accepted the bow, examining it carefully. Whatever material it was made of radiated a mysterious aura, and its hue echoed the Black Sun hanging in the sky here.
"This is a peculiar weapon," Orion remarked, unable to pinpoint specifics beyond its unusual resonance.
"Lord Orion," Rumbold said, "most godforsaken lands are worlds without faith. So their Legendary-level fighters usually come up short compared to normal lords. After all, a lord's strength doesn't lie in transcendent power alone but also in will and faith energy.
These 'forsaken ones' have given up on faith, turning to darker methods to compensate for their deficits—like this bow, that shield, and the bronze hammer used by the goblin lord."
With Rumbold's explanation, Orion gained a clearer picture of how things worked in a godforsaken land.
"All three lords are dead now," Rumbold went on. "Which leaves us only with mopping up the stragglers."
As he spoke, Rumbold held out Jarod's Lord's Stone. Orion understood how valuable such an item was.
"Mr. Rumbold, what's your intention here?"
With a mild laugh, Rumbold replied, "I'm following my master's orders. On this sweep, we take no spoils. And really, Lord Orion, a Lord's Stone is nothing compared to the Rebirth Stone you gave me."
Orion didn't argue. He simply nodded and reached out to accept the Lord's Stone. Even as he did, Rumbold offered a caution:
"Lord Orion, a word of warning—the Lord's Stones in a godforsaken land are tainted. You can't use them directly, or something truly evil will take notice."
Orion frowned, lifting his gaze to Rumbold with a perplexed look.
"You saw it yourself. Their transcendent power was nearly all black," Rumbold explained. "In other words, they all share a particular attribute."
Orion wrinkled his brow further, having observed that detail long ago. "Please, continue."
The bony spikes covering Rumbold's frame slowly retracted into his body—his other battle form, which Orion tactfully chose not to question.
"I'm no teacher," Rumbold said wryly. "I've just traveled more. Anyway, they've been corrupted by evil forces. If you want to make proper use of these Stones, you'll have to purge that corruption first. I know of a special structure called a Purification Tower that can cleanse them."
At that, Rumbold stopped, leaving the rest to Orion's imagination. Orion nodded, a plan forming in his mind.
"Lord Orion, about the weak stragglers… how do you want to handle them? Kill them all?"
After a moment's thought, Orion spoke.
"Keep some of them alive. I need them for a ritual."
Rumbold nodded, wisely declining to ask what Orion intended with that ceremony.
…
Meanwhile, in the central region, atop a towering structure:
"All three Legendary auras out east just blinked out," Leonidas muttered, perched on a railing and staring toward the horizon.
"As expected," Arthas said, glancing eastward. He had some faith in Orion's abilities but wondered how Orion had pulled it off. He was curious what sort of trump cards or equipment Orion had used—and whether Orion had been forced to reveal his secrets to pull off the kills.
"Boney McBoneface," Leonidas grumbled, "I gotta admit, your eye for talent is better than mine. Every promising upstart I pinned my hopes on ended up dead. Damn. Not a single payoff, and I wasted a fortune on them."
Arthas ignored Leonidas's grousing, eyes drifting south.
"They're gathering their forces. The final showdown draws near."