Chapter 1359
The Ever-Burning Oath
"I found this place a century ago."
"Back then, I was a nobody. I didn't have the strength to compete for dominance here. I could only park an avatar in the shadows and siphon off a little Soul Power."
Orion remained silent, listening intently. There was always wisdom to be found in the history of power.
"After I ascended to Arch Lord, I carved out a slice of territory. I beca a minor warlord here," Arthas continued, his voice echoing against the volcanic rock. "When I hit Demigod, I expanded. I finally had a voice at the table."
"Then, about fifteen years ago, the ruling Lord of Hell for this domain ascended to a higher dinsional Hell. He left the throne empty."
Arthas paused, turning to face the group, the weight of his plan hanging heavy in the sulfurous air.
"That was right around the ti I acquired the World Dragon Egg from you."
"And that gave
an insane idea."
"I had the Deputy Commander help . We smuggled the egg—after I'd prepped it—right into the core of the Ever-Burning Volcano."
Orion's pupils contracted. He saw the endga imdiately.
"Exactly," Arthas confird, seeing the look on Orion's face. "I want the egg to absorb the Essence Laws of this world. I want it to hatch inside the volcano. When that dragon breaks its shell, it won't just be a beast. It will be born as the rightful Lord of Hell."
The Lord of Hell. That wasn't just a title; it was a Divine Throne.
It ant that the mont the dragon was born, it would be a Fourth-Stage Demigod.
The ambition was staggering. It was a heist of cosmic proportions.
"But nothing is ever that easy," Arthas sighed.
"The vacuum left by the previous Lord has drawn attention. Every two-bit Demigod with an ego wants to claim the Ever-Burning Volcano."
Arthas locked eyes with Orion.
"You need to understand what you're signing up for. We've been holding this line for over a decade. We get hit by Demigod-level raiders constantly."
"And because I tweaked the incubation process to bind the dragon to this world, it's going to take longer to hatch. We're looking at a thousand-year siege."
One thousand years. Guarding a World Dragon Egg to secure a Fourth-Stage Demigod ally and total control of a Hell dinsion.
The ROI—Return on Investnt—was astronomical.
But the cost was a millennium of non-stop combat against the multiverse's deadliest scavengers.
Orion took a deep breath. He glanced at the Deputy Commander, Alexander, and Leonidas. He looked toward the shadows where his two elite guards waited.
It was clear. Everyone, including the Commander, was all in on Arthas's gamble.
His friends had parked their Demigod Phantoms here with no intention of leaving. They were ready to die on this hill. And they hadn't told Orion because they hadn't wanted to burden him.
"Bro," Orion said, his voice calm and deliberate. "I brought a deck of cards. We can play Texas Hold'em when we aren't killing things."
He t Arthas's gaze. It was his way of saying I'm staying.
"Leonidas," Orion shifted his focus to the charred warrior. "You better start thinking of hobbies. We've got a thousand years to kill. How are we going to survive the boredom?"
Arthas's stoic mask cracked, emotion flickering in his eyes, but Orion had already moved the spotlight to Leonidas to keep things light.
"Don't worry," Leonidas grinned, his teeth white against his soot-stained face. "I've already got a project."
"With you here, I'll finally have the manpower to solve the multiverse's greatest scientific mystery: how to make n get pregnant. We need to populate this rock sohow."
"..."
The joke was terrible, dry, and dark. Nobody laughed. But the tension broke.
Titanion Realm, Stoneheart City
Seated on the throne of his castle, Orion's main body opened his eyes. A flash of gravity passed through his gaze before vanishing.
Arthas had orchestrated sothing this massive without leaking a single word.
Orion felt a pang of guilt. He had been negligent.
For years, whether it was the [Erald Dream Realm] or the [Silverwood Realm], it was always his drama, his wars. His friends had always been there—supporting him, backing him, fighting for him.
They had their own struggles, clearly. But they rarely asked for help.
The only ti Orion had really stepped up was helping the Deputy Commander secure a small patch of land in a Godforsaken Land.
Arthas, Leonidas, Alexander... they never asked. They just gave.
"Ti to pay my debts," Orion whispered.
He felt a surge of gratification. After years of being the beneficiary, he was finally strong enough to be the benefactor.
But he wasn't naive. The situation in the [Ashenheart Domain] was going to be a grinder.
To hold the [Ever-Burning Volcano] for a thousand years, he would need to pump a constant stream of Divine Power into his Phantom stationed there.
It was a massive resource drain.
Currently, he had inco streams from the [Titanion Realm], [Erald Dream Realm], [Silverwood Realm], and the [Valkorath Realm]. He also had three Godforsaken Lands and a large territory on the sixth layer of the Abyss churning out Faith Energy.
"Not enough," Orion muttered, running the ntal calculations. "Nowhere near enough."
I need more territory.
Helping Arthas secure the [World Dragon] wasn't just friendship; it was the ultimate strategic investnt.
If this worked, Orion would have a Fourth-Stage Demigod backer. That was the kind of power the Commander wielded with Kaidric—a level of authority that could end wars with a sentence.
Looks like I need to fast-track the invasion of Eldoria, Orion decided, his eyes narrowing.
Who do I send to lead the vanguard?
Stoneheart City, The Silent Goblet
Since the day it opened its doors, The Silent Goblet had been the premier hub for information in Stoneheart City. It was also the best place to spot the city's elite patrons.
The tavern was never empty, but recently, business had exploded.
The main hall on the first floor was standing room only. The second floor was packed. Even the exclusive third floor, reserved for those of Legendary rank, had a respectable number of guests nursing expensive drinks.
"Nice office you've got here," a stranger said, sitting opposite Cloudsong, the renowned Bard.
The two n shared a look of easy familiarity.
"I can't complain," Cloudsong replied, smiling as he swirled his wine. "The prosperity here is growing at a rate that frankly terrifies . I love this city. It's alive. And I love the audience—so many hungry eyes waiting for a story."
"But more than that," Cloudsong added, his tone turning reverent, "I admire the Lord of the Stoneheart Horde. His wisdom and his vision... he's the real deal."
This wasn't cheap flattery. Cloudsong was a believer.
In The Silent Goblet, every story Cloudsong told rippled out across the continent, becoming the stuff of legend for hot-blooded youth everywhere.
"I can tell," the stranger said, raising his glass in a toast. "Before you ca up here, you were telling a story about eradicating an insect plague."
"If I were the Lord of this city," the stranger smirked, "I'd be thanking you for the public service announcent."
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