Lilith gradually eased her mind, placing a hand over her belly. In that moment, a maternal radiance seemed to bloom from the succubus.
Lilith herself hadn’t immediately sensed it. Lysinthia was able to detect it because she had a pact with Orion, and after transforming into a Gorgon, her perception had grown significantly.
Moreover, Lilith’s successfulnception must have been recent, or else Orion would certainly have sensed it himself.
"Hahaha…by the Titan God above, your radiance shines upon the Stoneheart Horde!"
"Our Stoneheart Horde finally has a future…at last, we have an heir!"
"Lord, do you know? Lilith is carrying your bloodline…"
"Hyperion, Phoebe—your child has grown up, and now he too has his own offspring…"
All of a sudden, Rendall, who had been standing off to the side, threw back his head and burst into exuberant laughter, the excitement clear in his voice. He and the other giant elders of the Stoneheart Horde had waited for this day a very long time. As the hordentinued to expand, that wait felt endlessly drawn out—agonizingly so.
In fact, Lilith herself wasn’t as visibly moved as Rendall. Yet in his excitement, Rendall even called Hyperion and Phoebe by their names.
Lilith didn’t mind. Whether at the Horde Hall in Blackstone City or in the castle at Stoneheart City, she knewuntless eyes had been observing her, watching for any sign that she might be pregnant.
The entire succubus tribe(race) had long been mobilized to ensure Lilith’s successfulnception. For ansiderable stretch of time, their most pressing and vital mission had been to help Lilith bear Orion’s child.
"Your efforts have paid off. Thank you," Lilith thought silently, thenmposed herself.
"Lilith, return—return to Blackstone City, return to the Horde Hall."
"Leave everything here to me. You shouldn’t be tiring yourself out."
Coming back to his senses, Rendall was both emotional and insistent, speaking like a senior family member. He firmly directed Lilith to head back to Blackstone City.
"Go to Blackstone City; that’s the safest place."
Seeing how full ofncern and excitement Rendall was, Lilith felt deeply moved. She began to understand why he held such a special position within the Stoneheart Horde.
"Arch Elder, I’m fine. I’ll finish subduing these plague crows here and then go back. It won’t take long."
"I’ve even done this before, so I know how to deal with them. Give me no more than half a month, and I’ll have them all underntrol."
"Besides, this is Orion’s task for me, and I don’t want to let him down."
Lilith’s tone was gentle as she smiled.
Hearing that this was Orion’s assignment, Rendall wled. He looked up at the plague crows circling overhead, cursing vehemently.
"Damn these stupid birds!"
After venting his anger, Rendall seemed to think of something. "Lysinthia, from now on, stay by Lilith’s side at all times. You must ensure Lilith’s safety, no matter what."
His voice was stern. It wasn’t a request; it was an order. Lysinthia nodded, tightening her hold on Lilith’s arm.
Looking at it all, Lilith broke into a warm smile. Thoughts of the child and of Orion filled her heart with happiness.
…
Valkorath Realm, Front Lines.
What Orion sawuld make anyone’s scalp tingle and heart jolt. Where once grass green and earth brown stretched out, the land was now blanketed byuntless red-green speckles of foul-smelling slime mold layers.
It was a spectacle nauseating to behold with the naked eye. Sticky secretions flowed across the surface of these molds, making Orion feel as though he had stepped into a damp, decaying world of fermentation.
Numerous skeletal warriors were locked in battle against various slime mold mutants atop this bizarre, multlored terrain. These mutants writhed with tendrils of fungal fiber. In motion, these fibers not only boosted their defense but also reduced iming damage.
The shapes of the slime mold mutants were wildly varied—roughly humanoid, spindly, fuzzy, spider-like…all sorts of bizarre forms that drew a deep frown from Orion.
"These are the slime mold mutants. Never underestimate them. Their adaptability is beyond your imagination."
Floating in midair, Lich Vexis approached Orion’s side and gazed downward at the slime mold mutants with a grave expression.
"Lord Orion, this isn’t somewhere we can linger. We should really—"
Before sheuld finish, two massive bulges suddenly swelled up through the slime mold layer. Cracking through that surface, two towering slime mold mutants lifted their heads to regard Orion and Vexis.
"Damn it, the brood mother has noticed us. She’s teleporting two Legendary-level slime mold mutants here."
"Run!"
Vexis’s face went pale. Her words were rapid and urgent. Inntrast, Orion paid no heed to her warning.
"Ms. Vexis, did you think we only came here to gawk?"
His icy voice reached Vexis’s ears, and when she glanced his way, she saw a formidable warrior clad in Ghostbone Armor and wielding the Flame of Will.
"Since I’m already here, I need to see if these slime mold mutants are truly as formidable as the rumors say."
As he spoke, a layer of ice spread from the trident, encasing Orionmpletely.
"Charge!"
Orion roared, rushing at one of the slime mold mutants down below.
In the distance loomed the Bone City. It stood at the front lines, serving both as a military camp and a fortress of war. Right now, on its walls, Arthas gripped his sword and stared into the northern horizon.
"Master, I can sense Lich Vexis and an Unfamiliar Lord on the battlefield," said a cloaked legendary-tier subordinate of Arthas.
"Leave them be. Just keep your eyes on the brood mother’s mutated minions, and they’ll be fine."
Arthas’s voice was detached. He didn’t inherently trust Vexis’s strength, but he firmly believed in Orion’s. If Vexis ever found herself in danger, Orion would certainly protect her.
Casting a sidelong glance toward where Orion was, Arthas’s gaze grew a little gentler, and also a bit morenfident.
"If my estimates arerrect, Orion, you should already havembat power sufficient to stand against a low-level Arch Lord.
With you assisting me in the northern region, it’s only a matter of time before I slay that slime mold brood mother mutant and oveme my final barrier to bming a Demigod."