The night was deep.
Runes, drawn in fresh blood, shimmered with a bewitching light in the darkness.
The light flickered, falling upon a Reverse Whale that was on its last breath. Boundless fear and anger coalesced in its eyes.
More than that, there was hatred.
This was the depths of the Dragon Nest, the place where the christening would be held tomorrow.
"Great Dragon Emperor, Your Majesty, the sacrificial ritual runes are complete. The formation can be activated at any time."
The white dragon Frostsire stood beside the blood pool, looking down at the enormous Reverse Whale within. In his eyes, it was mere flesh on the block, a sacrificial offering.
"Excellent. The other four great races have arrived. We just wait for tomorrow."
"You will guard this place well for me. I don't want any slip-ups."
"From now on, entry into the Dragon Nest is permitted, but no one leaves."
The white dragon Frostsire swept his gaze over the seven figures standing silently by the blood pool, filled with confidence in them.
"Rest assured, we shall not fail the trust you've placed in us!"
The white dragon Frostsire nodded, his form gradually fading, disappearing into the depths of the Dragon Nest.
The next morning, in the Ancient Castle, everyone gathered once more.
The Five-Race Conference resumed, but the host, the white dragon Frostsire, still showed no intention of broaching the main agenda.
The atmosphere at the conference was exceedingly strange. The white dragon Frostsire remained silent, and the others did not speak either.
However, the clandestine exchanges among them hadn't stopped for a moment.
"Grand Duke, what's the situation now?" Orion sent a voice transmission to Richard, hoping to glean some useful information from him.
The vague words Richard had spoken in his palace yesterday had left Orion pondering for a long time.
Grand Duke Richard follows profit. Could those words be trusted? Orion wasn't sure; he could only believe half of it.
"I don't know either. No one can guess what this Dragon Emperor is thinking."
"Giant King Orion, why don't you ask him?"
Orion frowned; he felt extremely agitated.
This agitation stemmed from a premonition of danger and misfortune.
After the Abyssal Dragon Xalathar had ascended to the Legendary level, Orion's perceptive abilities had been enhanced.
And now, this ability was manifesting as emotional agitation.
Orion looked up at the white dragon Frostsire. The latter's eyes were closed, clearly having no intention of paying anyone any mind.
Across from him, Dain the Dwarf and Grand Elder Lireesa also seemed indifferent, having chosen to go with the flow since yesterday, questioning nothing.
Orion suddenly realized that the Stoneheart Horde seemed to have no true allies left.
The Human Kingdom was hypocritical.
The Blood Elf race spoke fine words but clammed up at critical moments.
As for the Dwarves, the Stoneheart Horde had no deep ties with them. Because their territories weren't adjacent, their cooperation was only superficial.
"A weak nation has no diplomacy; true strength lies in being strong oneself!"
At such a moment, Orion gained a new understanding of this saying.
Eee... Gaa...
Just then, from the direction of the Dragon Nest within the city, came the agonized scream of a whale.
At first, the sound was one of struggle and fury.
Later, it became hoarse, low, and then chillingly sinister.
To Orion's experienced ear, it was unmistakably a cry of torment.
"What was that?"
Dain, the Dwarf Prophet, couldn't hold back and asked the white dragon Frostsire, but he received no response.
Dragon Nest, 15 minutes earlier.
Dragon Emperor Frostsire had granted each race five slots to enter the Dragon Nest. Orion had given the Stoneheart Horde's slots to Dace, Otho, Beyn, Torba, and Ursa.
The five of them formed a small group and entered the Dragon Nest under the guidance of Dragon race guards.
"Last time, Brakthul advanced to Alpha-level because he entered here," Dace said, somewhat excited. After their expedition to the Valkorath Realm, the four guards had all found their strength stuck at the mid or late Alpha-level.
"Hopefully, the Dragon Nest can help us advance further!" Otho remarked. He was calmer, not because he didn't care, but because he had lost confidence in himself.
Among the four guards, Otho was the weakest and least talented; he had almost given up hope for himself.
"Since Orion let us enter the Dragon Nest, this christening here must be beneficial for us," Beyn said, reaching out and patting Otho's shoulder. He, like Otho, was stuck at mid-Alpha level. Indeed, their predicaments were similar, and Otho, for his part, had already lost faith in his own prospects.
However, at times like these, offering mutual encouragement had become a habit.
"Have you noticed? The space inside the Dragon Nest is quite large," Ursa observed, walking behind the others. She was sensitive to her surroundings and had a keen memory for paths she had traversed.
Back when Orion was campaigning against the succubi and the Buffalofolk tribe, it was she who had raced all the way to the succubus territory to deliver the message.
"This is a special structure, a place where miracles can be nurtured. It's normal for the internal space to be different from its external appearance," Dace replied. The Dragon Nest was vast, he had noticed that too, but he wasn't particularly concerned.
Soon, under the guards' lead, the five of them arrived at the square where the christening was to take place.
"Honored guests, please wait here. A miracle will soon descend. I hope you will all seize the opportunity."
The guard left them with these words and then exited the Dragon Nest.
"Everyone's here. Let's begin!"
In the depths of the Dragon Nest, seven figures stood around the Reverse Whale, transcendent power surging.
One by one, seemingly sacred runes peeled off from the walls, like butterflies, like tadpoles, and burrowed into the body of the Reverse Whale in the blood pool.
As the runes entered its body, the Reverse Whale grew increasingly tormented, its struggles more violent, its howls more wretched.
Meanwhile, in the Ancient Castle.
After the Reverse Whale's agonized screams completely died out, the white dragon Frostsire suddenly opened his eyes. A divine light burst forth from his pupils, and the pressure of an Archlord emanated outwards, sweeping through the hall and across all of Whitecliff.
"Everyone, I propose we rename this Five-Race Conference of ours to the Sacrificial Grand Ceremony."
The white dragon Frostsire's ancient, resonant voice echoed in everyone's ears—sinister yet excited, bold yet grand. Then came a laugh, a contradictory sound, full of tension.
"A Sacrificial Grand Ceremony?" This question arose in the minds of Orion, Grand Duke Richard, Dain the Dwarf, and Grand Elder Lireesa.
Eeee!
Roar!
"Everyone, I have a great gift for you all—for the five talents from each of your races!"
The white dragon Frostsire's voice rang out again, and simultaneously, another whale's cry and a dragon's roar were heard.
Immediately after, the Dragon Nest, the special structure standing in Whitecliff, emitted a dazzling, multi-colored light. An immense magical formation unfurled, enveloping the entire city.
The magical formation activated, drawing mighty power from the unknown void, channeling it into the Dragon Nest, and into the bodies of the bloodline warriors undergoing the christening within.
In the Ancient Castle, Orion could feel a strange power attempting to coalesce into a mark within his body.