MTLNOVEL Chapter 225: Are you threatening me?
As the dark creatures continued to fall, the Stoneheart Horde's warriors pressed their advantage.
Rendall, leading the hunting party, focused on eliminating the ordinary dark creatures. Unlike the Alpha-level battle happening elsewhere, his task was straightforward: ensure no dark creature escaped. For the horde, these creatures weren't just enemies—they were resources. Every kill meant more materials, more power, and more opportunities for growth.
The horde's strength had grown so much that the 30,000–40,000 dark creatures outside Blackstone City posed no real threat. They didn't even need to breach the city walls—Rendall and his warriors had already taken the fight to them, determined to leave no dark creature alive.
---
Suddenly, a piercing eagle cry echoed through the darkened sky. It was the unmistakable call of the thunderhawk.
Orion, seated atop the city wall, looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly. Moments later, the sky was illuminated by flashes of lightning, thunder rumbling across the battlefield. In the brief bursts of light, the silhouette of a Four-Winged Blood Bat appeared, its massive wings cutting through the stormy sky.
"I know this monster," Orion muttered, recognizing the creature immediately. He had encountered this type of dark creature before, and now another had appeared.
Orion stood, ready to grab a throwing weapon to assist in the aerial battle. But after observing the thunderhawk's dominance in the skies, he slowly sat back down. The thunderhawk had the upper hand, and Orion trusted it to handle the situation.
---
The aerial battle, however, did not go unnoticed. The thunderhawk's cries and the flashes of lightning drew the attention of everyone in Blackstone City.
"Mom, look! That's our great chieftain's thunderhawk!" a young boy exclaimed, peeking out from the corner of his family's tent. His face was filled with pride, as if the thunderhawk were his own.
In the chieftain's tent, Lilith and Lysinthia, who had just woken up, stepped outside to see what was happening. The sound of thunder had drawn their curiosity.
"Master's thunderhawk is fighting a dark creature!" Lysinthia said, her gaze fixed on the sky. Her eyes sparkled with longing—the longing for Alpha-level power.
Though Lysinthia rarely voiced her thoughts, her mind was often filled with insecurities. She felt that her strength was becoming increasingly irrelevant. Once, her petrification spell had been a crucial tool in aiding the horde's warriors. But as the bloodline warriors grew stronger, the spell's effectiveness diminished, and so did Lysinthia's presence within the horde.
If not for her Twilight Viper, which still gave her some standing, Lysinthia feared she might have already been forgotten. This was why she desperately yearned to ascend to Alpha-level. Reaching that level would not only secure her position but also allow her to contribute more meaningfully to Orion and the horde.
---
The battle on the ground ended quickly. With three Alpha-level warriors surrounding the massive tentacle monster, its defeat was inevitable. The aerial battle, however, lasted much longer—nearly two hours.
In the end, the thunderhawk emerged victorious, killing the Four-Winged Blood Bat. With a triumphant cry, it dropped the bat's corpse onto the city wall, its screeches echoing across the battlefield.
"Alright, enough showing off," Orion said with a chuckle. "Everyone already knows how strong you are."
The thunderhawk's dramatic display amused Orion. The skies were its domain, and it had been frustrated by its inability to single-handedly drive off last year's Dark Butterfly or this year's broadskull ravens. The intrusion of the Four-Winged Blood Bat into its territory had clearly pushed it to its limits, and it had fought with everything it had to reclaim its dominance.
Dropping the bat's corpse on the wall was the thunderhawk's way of declaring its prowess to everyone.
Orion waved over a team of shamans to tend to the thunderhawk's injuries. Though it had only sustained minor wounds, he wanted to ensure it was fully healed.
Half an hour later, two dark source crystals—pure and brimming with energy—were placed on the table in front of Orion. He couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"This is what it feels like to have resources delivered to you without lifting a finger," he thought to himself.
Orion decided to keep one crystal for himself and reserve the other for the horde. This was part of a new policy he had recently implemented: from now on, half of all Alpha-level resources acquired by the horde would be used by him, while the other half would be saved for emergencies.
After storing the dark source crystals, Orion reflected on the past two years. His efforts to strengthen the horde were finally paying off, and the rewards were beginning to flow in.
---
At night, Orion sat in his tent and consumed one of the dark source crystals. The surge of power coursing through his body was intoxicating, filling him with a sense of exhilaration.
By the time morning came, the energy within him had finally settled. Orion opened his eyes and immediately checked his data panel.
- Strength: 5000/5000 (Maxed)
- Agility: 5000/5000 (Maxed)
- Constitution: 5000/5000 (Maxed)
- Intelligence: 4801/5000
With three attributes now at their maximum, Orion clenched his right fist, feeling the raw power coursing through him. He knew that the numbers displayed on his data panel didn't represent his true limits. The panel itself hadn't advanced yet, which likely meant it couldn't display his full potential.
Taking a deep breath, Orion didn't leave his tent. Instead, he entered the Survivor's Platform, eager to uncover the method for advancing to Legendary level.
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"How do I ascend to Legendary level?" Orion sent the question to Arthas, keeping it simple and direct. He was confident that Arthas would understand what he was asking.
The response came quickly:
"Your data panel is already maxed out?"
Orion didn't reply, waiting instead for Arthas to provide a proper explanation.
"Legendary level… the power you'll wield will be supernatural," Arthas finally responded. "The Lord's Stone is the key. It contains a fragment of transcendent power."
"Communicate with it. Master it. That's how you ascend to Legendary level."
Orion stared at the message, reading it over and over until his eyes began to ache.
"How do I communicate with the Lord's Stone?" he asked. This was the most critical question.
Arthas took a long time to reply.
"The exact method? I don't know."
"What I do know is that every lord's method is different. Some wear it as a necklace. Some crush it. Some swallow it. And… some shove it up their ass."
---
Arthas's response left Orion momentarily stunned.
Orion stared at the Lord's Stone in his hand, contemplating whether he should just swallow it whole. The methods for communicating with supernatural power were, to say the least, bizarre.
"Is this a joke?" he muttered to himself.
Ultimately, Orion tucked the Lord's Stone away and sent a message back to Arthas.
"Do you think I'm joking?" came Arthas's reply, almost as if mocking Orion's hesitation.
"How did you do it?" Orion asked, genuinely curious.
"I bit down and swallowed it," Arthas replied bluntly.
"This…" Orion was at a loss for words.
"Hard to imagine, isn't it?" Arthas added, clearly amused.
So, Arthas himself had been one of those who simply ate the Lord's Stone. Compared to that, Orion was now far more curious about the person who had… shoved it somewhere far less conventional.
"Bro, you've got a strong stomach!" Orion replied, throwing in a bit of flattery in the hopes of coaxing more advice out of Arthas.
"You should try it too. Crunchy, and it might even taste good!" Arthas quipped.
At that point, Orion lost all interest in continuing the conversation. He exited the Survivor's Platform, his expression growing more serious.
---
Advancing to Legendary level wasn't as straightforward as Orion had initially thought. It wasn't just about gathering the necessary items—it required finding a personal method to communicate with the Lord's Stone and unlocking its transcendent power.
Orion sighed, temporarily setting aside his thoughts on the matter. His data panel wasn't fully maxed out yet, so he still had work to do before he could focus on advancing.
Orion stepped out of his tent, where his four guards—Dace, Otho, Beyn, and Torba—stood at attention.
"Anything happening on the walls?" Orion asked.
"Nothing for now, respected chieftain," Dace replied.
Orion nodded and began walking toward the chieftain's tent. The tent was empty, its silence almost eerie. Most of the horde's elders were stationed on the walls, leading their warriors and trying to gather as many dark source crystals as possible. Even the four senior elders were busy.
For the first time in a long while, Orion found himself with nothing to do. This strange calm persisted until the dark beast tides finally ended.
After the defeat of the two Alpha-level dark creatures, no more appeared. The real beneficiaries of the beast tides were the horde's ordinary bloodline warriors, who had gained valuable experience and resources.
Inside the chieftain's tent, Orion listened to the rhythmic sound of rain pattering against the fabric. The spring rain had arrived—a signal that the dark beast tides were over. But it could also be a harbinger of the myriad races invasion.
The rain brought a sense of relief to the horde's warriors. Their tense nerves relaxed, and for the first time in weeks, they could sleep soundly.
---
Three days later, the peace was shattered.
"By the order of Lord Gareth, Orion of the Black Forest is summoned to lead his forces south in three days to participate in the myriad races invasion. Refusal is not an option!" Read exclusive content at empire
The messenger was Arden, riding his storm vulture. His expression was uneasy as he delivered the message.
This time, no one from the Stoneheart Horde came out to greet him. The lack of reception made Arden feel slighted, but Orion's reputation kept him from voicing his displeasure. After delivering the message, Arden quickly turned west to continue his rounds.
Orion sat in the chieftain's tent, his eyes half-closed as if deep in thought. Arden's demeanor made it clear that he was unaware of the destruction of Lord Gareth's will projection. This confirmed Orion's suspicion: Gareth was playing a dangerous game.
"Chieftain, the myriad races invasion is upon us again. Are we heading south this time?" Onyx asked cautiously.
Orion didn't respond immediately. He was waiting for the others to arrive.
Before long, the three Wardens—Lilith, Rockwell, and Lorelia—entered the tent, followed by the eight council elders: Earthshaker, Desdemona, Vespera, Hammerhoof, Dirtclaw, Slate, Samson, and Ursa.
Once everyone was present, Orion opened his eyes and scanned the room. His voice was low and commanding as he spoke.
"Of the four senior elders, Rendall and Elder of Stewardship Delilah will remain to guard the horde."
"Of the three Wardens, Rockwell and Spider Queen Lorelia will stay behind."
"Of the eight council elders, Desdemona, Hammerhoof, Dirtclaw, and Rendall will accompany me. The rest will remain under Delilah's command."
Orion's tone left no room for argument. His words carried a rare weight of authority, and no one dared to object.
"This time, the Sentinel Corps, hunting party, and cavalry corps will stay behind to defend the horde. The cannon fodder troops and half of the cave spiders will march south with me."
"Go and prepare. We leave in three days."
Orion's decisiveness and dominance were on full display. He didn't consult the elders or seek their opinions—he simply made the decisions himself.
The council elders exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion and doubt. But none of them dared to question Orion. Silently, they left the tent to carry out his orders.
---
Once the council elders were gone, only the horde's Alpha-level warriors remained in the tent.
"This march south will be fraught with danger," Orion said, his tone grave. "Not only will those of us leaving face peril, but those staying behind must also remain vigilant."
"In my absence, Delilah will have full authority over the horde's affairs. Rendall will oversee and support her."
The room fell silent. Even Rockwell, who was usually outspoken, chose to remain quiet. He glanced at Onyx, then at Orion, his face filled with concern.
There were some things Orion kept hidden from the council elders but shared with his most trusted warriors. This march south was likely to bring him into direct conflict with Lord Gareth. The mere thought of it made Rockwell's heart race with unease.
---
Thunderwood Forest
Near Thunderpeak Mountain, a bolt of lightning split the sky, chasing a shadowy figure as it fled northward. The figure didn't stop until it had escaped the mountain's range.
"Gareth, what do you want?" the figure demanded, its voice sharp and filled with irritation.
In the flickering light of the storm, the figure's features became visible—it bore a striking resemblance to Lord Gareth.
"Ariel, I'm marching south for the invasion. Clear a path for me, or this ends in mutual destruction," Gareth replied coldly.
"Hahaha… Gareth, are you threatening me?" Ariel sneered.
"Take it however you want," Gareth said, her tone unwavering.
"Then let's fight! I'd love to see who runs out of transcendent power first."
"What will it take for you to give me a path?" Gareth asked, her voice laced with frustration.
"It's not impossible… but only if…" Ariel trailed off, a sly smile spreading across her face.