Chapter 1353
Good answer
Mirelune, Silverwood Realm
The city was an architectural anomaly, a gleaming jewel dropped carelessly into the toxic mire of Venomfen Swamp. It was Tangere's magnum opus.
The construction of Mirelune had cented Tangere's reputation across the entire zone. Even on the broader Moonlight Continent, his na carried weight. It was the premier hub. Any rcenary company or adventure party looking to grind quests or hunt high-level beasts in the swamp eventually found themselves resting within Mirelune's walls.
To Orion, Tangere was a kindred spirit: a lone wolf. He was the type who didn't sh well with randoms and kept his circle tight. That was fine. Competent people rarely needed a crowd to feel valid.
"Why didn't you just na the city 'Tangere' and be done with it?"
At the apex of the city's Mage Tower, Tangere snapped out of his deep ditation. The voice was familiar. His eyes flew open to see a figure standing before him—a silhouette he knew well, yet sohow changed. Orion stood there, radiating an aura that felt ancient yet undeniably vital.
"The na 'Tangere' was already taken in the world I ca from," Tangere replied, standing to offer a formal, welcoming gesture.
Tangere was his handle, his persona. Among the Survivors, it was the identity he wore with pride.
"Boss," Tangere said, his tone shifting to business. "You didn't co all this way just for the view. What do you need?"
The two n sat. Tangere quickly produced a spread of food and high-end liquor, not bothering with pleasantries. He knew Orion; he didn't make social calls without an agenda.
"Quick question," Orion said, cutting to the chase. "Do Plague Pathogens count as an insectoid race?"
Orion had co straight to the Silverwood Realm after eting with Lilith. He was here to vet Tangere—a final vibe check before recomnding him for the Champions Alliance—but he also needed intel on a potential counter to the bug swarms.
"I wouldn't call them Insectoids, strictly speaking," Tangere answered, pouring a drink. "But biology is biology. Even a swarm isn't immune to getting sick. If the Plague Pathogens hit them, they'll rot like anything else."
It wasn't a definitive silver bullet, but it wasn't a 'no', either. It was a vector of attack. Whether the plague was potent enough to wipe out a swarm was a question for another day, but the logic held.
Orion nodded, satisfied for the mont. He raised his glass, and they drank in companionable silence for a beat.
"Give
your read on the others," Orion said, setting his glass down. "Caesar, Aerin, Scarecrow, Aina. No filters."
Tangere paused. He knew this wasn't just gossip; it was a strategic assessnt. Lying to a powerhouse like Orion was a waste of ti, and frankly, dangerous.
"Caesar is solid. I've seen him in action," Tangere began. "The man is a grandmaster with a blade. He's got that old-school code of honor—a 'Sword Heart,' if you will. He has lines he won't cross. If it's a righteous fight, a crusade? He's the guy you want leading the charge. He's a tank and DPS rolled into one."
High praise. But Tangere's emphasis on "righteous" was the key. Caesar wasn't the guy for black ops or dirty work.
"And Aerin?" Orion asked, bringing up the forr slacker.
Tangere hesitated. "Aerin... she's hard to pin down. Given the resources and growth rate of the [Forest of Nature], barring any catastrophe, she's locked in to beco an Arch Lord. But when it cos to actual combat?" Tangere grimaced. "With all due respect, she's hot garbage."
Orion nodded. That tracked. Aerin was draped in the mystique of the Wood Elf Queen, which blinded most people, but Tangere saw the stats underneath. Sotis, your starting build matters more than your skill ceiling.
"Honestly, Boss, with her setup and personality, just let her farm," Tangere suggested. "If she keeps our logistics running and the granaries full, that's more valuable than her trying to fight. Infinite food is the ultimate buff."
"What about Scarecrow? You two overlap, right?"
"Yeah, we've t. He's... an outlier," Tangere said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Boss, you need to inspect his army soti. He has these Hero-tier Scarecrow units—magic immunity, resistant to all debuffs. You can only drop them with raw physical damage. It's honestly broken."
Tangere and Scarecrow were both Legendary level beings, so they ran in the sa circles. Scarecrow had visited Mirelune a few years back, and Tangere had witnessed the man go feral in the deep swamp.
"How is he as a person?"
"Reliable. Generally chill," Tangere said, choosing his words carefully. "But he's got a dark side. He can get extre."
Orion knew exactly what Tangere ant. Scarecrow was the type of grinder who spent eleven months of the year offline, working a strict schedule, only playing during winter. That kind of repression builds pressure.
"And Aina?"
Tangere shrugged. "Complete wild card. Mysterious kid. She barely interacts with us."
Orion nodded again. Aina was an enigma, chaotic and hard to read. Her request to destroy the world still lingered in the back of his mind.
"Last one," Orion said, fixing Tangere with a stare. "How do you rate yourself?"
Tangere didn't blink. He had expected this. He'd profiled the whole squad; now it was his turn to be under the microscope. He decided on absolute honesty.
"Boss, I'm a man who knows his engagent range," Tangere said quietly. "I know exactly where my limits are. If I hit that red line, I don't gamble. I pull back. I survive."
It was a humble brag, but effective. He was telling Orion that he was prudent. He wasn't a liability who would get the team wiped because of an ego trip.
"Good answer. You've got a good setup here," Orion said, standing up. "That's all for now. Catch you later."
In an instant, before Tangere could even stand to see him off, Orion vanished from the Mage Tower.
Tangere stared at the empty space where Orion had been sitting. His heart was pounding with anticipation. He missed the adrenaline. He was hoping, that Orion's return ant a new campaign was starting.
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