Life is fragile, sometimes ending in the blink of an eye, between a single strike or blow.
"WAAAGH!"
Rendall, holding a spiked club, panted heavily, shouting toward the audience around the arena.
At his feet, an Alpha-level human knight lay dead in a pool of blood, his breath gone.
This was a life-or-death battle in the arena, a duel between two warriors.
In the council hall, the five lords gathered once more.
The five factions had successfully formed an alliance, and the details they needed to discuss next didn't require the involvement of high-ranking figures like Orion.
The lords, now together again, began an unusual contest of their own.
A duel!
Through their warriors' combat, they sought to win territories or supplies from one another.
"Grand Duke Richard, this round is mine."
"When will you send me the thousand sets of refined armor you promised? Don't try to pass off scrap metal on me!"
For this duel, Orion had sent Arch Elder Rendall. With the protection of a blood shield, Rendall had managed to win the battle, though it had been difficult.
Grand Duke Richard's face darkened. The knight who had just died was his personal commander, a strong warrior even among Alpha-level fighters.
He had not fallen in battle but in this duel, and Grand Duke Richard struggled to accept that.
"Hahaha, what an exciting duel! Now, who wants to play a round with me? I'll offer ten slots into the Dragon Nest as a prize."
At the mention of the Dragon Nest, Grand Duke Richard's expression suddenly stiffened. He turned to look at Lord Jorik.
"Lord Jorik, are you serious?"
Jorik nodded, and, seeing the others watching him, casually spoke.
"Our Dragon Nest has the ability to purify and alter bloodlines. Each time it's activated, it consumes a vast amount of resources."
"If you wish for your younger generation to enter, you'll have to defeat our dragon warriors."
"Alternatively, you can offer something of value in exchange for a slot."
Orion, Lireesa, Dain, and Richard all fell into deep thought, considering whether to accept the challenge.
Orion glanced at Drakthul, the only Alpha-level warrior he had with him who could possibly fight.
As Orion hesitated, Grand Duke Richard, from the human kingdom, spoke first.
"Lord Jorik, humans will take this challenge."
Jorik nodded, thinking for a moment before replying seriously.
"Alright, but the stake will be the dragon egg."
Grand Duke Richard nodded in agreement.
"Then let's have them prepare."
While Jorik and Richard were discussing, Lireesa, standing beside Orion, suddenly communicated with him telepathically.
"Lord Orion, don't you find it strange? Isn't Jorik being a little too generous?"
Orion's hand, which had been holding his goblet, stiffened for a moment before returning to normal.
Grand Elder Lireesa of the Blood Elf tribe had lived for a long time, so her words were certainly not without reason.
"Lady Lireesa, what's wrong?"
"According to our tribe's records, every time the Dragon Nest opens, it consumes a massive amount of dragon blood, and only fifty slots are available."
Orion's expression remained unchanged as he continued to sip his drink, quietly asking,
"So what does that mean?"
"This is no ordinary dragon blood. At the very least, it's blood from a Legendary-level dragon. Jorik's blood and life force are strong, so it's clear that he isn't using his own blood to activate the Dragon Nest."
"You mean…"
"This time, they must be using the blood of Arch Lord Frostsire. The slots are incredibly valuable, and I don't understand why Jorik would wager something so precious."
Upon hearing this, Orion's pupils contracted slightly.
Just as Orion was about to ask more questions, the duel in the arena began.
On the human side, an Alpha-level knight appeared, riding a beast-blood mount at the peak of hero-level.
On the dragon side, a half-dragon emerged. This half-dragon hadn't fully transformed but was much taller than an average human.
Just before the match began, his back suddenly tore open, and a pair of dragon wings slowly sprouted.
"Roar!"
"Charge!"
With two roars, the two warriors charged toward each other.
Halfway through the charge, the half-dragon soared into the air and released a blue fireball from his mouth.
The human knight raised his large shield, which flashed with magical runes, and a faint red defensive barrier appeared, successfully blocking the fireball.
Boom!
The sound of the explosion rang out, causing Orion, Lireesa, Jorik, Dain, and Richard to all stand up.
However, the five lords didn't look toward the arena but instead toward the southern sea.
In the instant the fireball and shield collided, there had been a loud explosion from the direction of the sea.
"Crap!"
Jorik exclaimed in shock. Without saying another word, he transformed into a dragon and soared into the sky.
Orion raised an eyebrow and looked at Lireesa, Dain, and Richard.
The first two seemed surprised, but Richard wore a strange expression.
"Grand Duke Richard, do you know what's going on?"
Orion's voice was low, sensing a hint of danger, though he couldn't detect any other Legendary-level presences nearby.
"If it's an issue with the sea, it could be an invasion from the Sea Tribe."
When Richard mentioned the Sea Tribe, everyone's pupils contracted.
The Sea Tribe was mysterious and terrifying to land-based races like them.
Every time the Sea Tribe invaded the continent, the number of creatures they brought with them was enormous.
"Whether it's the Sea Tribe or not, we'll find out soon enough."
Dain, the dwarven prophet, was impatient. His transcendent power surged as he flew into the sky.
Orion, Lireesa, and Richard exchanged a look. They no longer cared about the duel in the arena, instead channeling their transcendent powers and heading south.
Far to the south, deep within the sea.
With a loud bang, it was as if the ocean floor had erupted, sending invisible waves rippling outward.
In the deep sea, the water suddenly caved in, creating a massive pit.
The pit was quickly filled by the surrounding water, but the sea surged violently in the wake of the explosion.
On the surface, the waves, which had initially been only a meter high, began to rapidly rise.
By the time the waves reached the shallow waters, they had surged to over a hundred meters.
A tsunami had begun.
In the waters following the tsunami, countless shadows of fish-tailed, human-bodied creatures moved swiftly.
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