Chapter 1372
You're even more terrifying than we predicted
"A Second Step Demigod... honestly, I expected more of a fight."
Orion stared at his open palms, flexing his fingers.
It wasn't until the dust settled that the reality of his own growth truly hit him. He had reached a level of power that defied logic. If a second-stage demigod felt this fragile beneath his hands, what about the third stage?
In that silence, Orion's ambition shifted. He stopped looking at the step in front of him and cast his gaze toward the summit.
What would happen if I descended with a portion of my actual divine body? he wondered. What kind of destruction would that unleash?
The phenonon that had just crushed his enemy wasn't even a true descent. It was rely a projection of his Divine Kingdom—a shadow cast by his power. Yet, that re shadow had been enough to obliterate a second-stage demigod, grinding them into nothingness.
Orion felt a tightness in his chest, a sudden surge of awe for the existence that lay beyond the realm of demigods.
"The Commander was right. You're even more terrifying than we predicted."
Deputy Commander Edward stepped out of a fractured pocket of space, the remnants of the enemy's formation dissolving behind him. He walked up to Orion, his gaze intense.
According to the tiline, they had finished their respective battles at the exact sa mont. The difference, however, was stark. Orion had annihilated a [Second Step] powerhouse. Edward had rely dispatched a [First Step] opponent.
Edward had a sinking feeling that if he were to fight Orion, the outco would be decided in a heartbeat. Looking at the younger man, the Deputy Commander felt a bitter pang of inadequacy.
Is all our training, all those years of grinding and bloodshed, really worth so little?
For the first ti, doubt crept into Edward's mind. But he was a seasoned veteran; he crushed the thought before it could take root.
Hulk is an anomaly, Edward reminded himself. He's carving a path that doesn't exist on any world.
Edward's will was iron-clad. He shook off the frustration and squared his shoulders.
"I think your performance today would make the rest of the leadership look like amateurs," Edward said, his tone filled with genuine admiration. "You're in a league of your own."
Orion grinned, basking in the praise from the usually stoic officer. "Careful, Deputy Commander. That sounds an awful lot like ass-kissing."
"If you're admitting to being an ass, then sure, consider it kissed."
Orion barked a laugh. "Fair enough."
Without wasting another second, Orion fell in beside the Deputy Commander. They moved to the next sector, hunting down the remaining invaders one by one.
Eldoria, The City of Grimm
High within the Windmill Keep, Aina crouched in the castle gardens, her eyes fixed on a fragile sprout pushing up through the crimson soil.
It had only two tiny leaves, trembling in the gentle breeze. To anyone else, it looked like a single breath might snap it in half. Aina knew better. She had just stomped on it with her full weight, and the thing hadn't even bent.
"I'm so sorry, baby. Mommy didn't an to hurt you," she cooed, her voice dripping with affection. "Mommy just had to be sure you really sprouted from the Curse Seed."
She stroked the air above the leaves. "Forgive , little one. Mommy's going to get you sothing delicious right now."
She radiated a gentle, maternal warmth. It was a jarring image—this delicate girl was the founder of [Hellscream], the woman the world knew as a holy saintess.
Aina lifted a bucket of scalding, fresh blood and poured it directly into the soil. As the liquid soaked into the earth, the sprout's color deepened from a pale pink to a gorged, dark red. It began to grow visibly, drinking greedily.
Aina smiled. It was a beatific, terrifying smile.
"Saintess," a voice called from the doorway. "We have intelligence from outside the storm."
By the ti Aina walked into the council chamber monts later, the doting mother was gone. In her place stood a figure of ice and authority, her face partially obscured by a red veil.
"Speak," Aina commanded, her voice devoid of interest.
"The town of Astravale has been swallowed by the storm. All contact is lost. It's drawn the attention of the regional officials," the scout reported, kneeling. "Scouts from every direction are trying to penetrate the storm wall to see what's happening inside."
Aina knew this already. The 'fertilizer' she had just fed the cursed tree had co from those very scouts.
"There are rumors in the Holy City," the scout continued, his voice trembling slightly. "They say a powerful heresy has taken root here. The Holy Order is rallying the populace. They're calling for a Crusade."
A Crusade. It was a pretty word for a purge. In reality, it was just the Holy Order leveraging the private armies of the nobles to sanction a massive looting spree.
"Is your source reliable?" Aina asked.
The threat of the Holy Order didn't make her flinch. She stared at the kneeling servant, her eyes unblinking. This man was a puppet, his mind shackled by an artifact from the Survivor's Platform. He was a mber of Hellscream, one of the heavily mutated ones. Yet, even with absolute control, Aina's paranoia never slept. She doubted everyone, not because the intel was bad, but because that was her nature.
"I wouldn't dare hide the truth," the man stamred, terrified. He knew exactly what she was. She wasn't a saintess; she was a madwoman far more twisted than any of them. "The intel cos from a core mber, and I verified it with my own network."
"Let them co," Aina said, a cruel curl touching her lips. "Grimm needs slave labor. The more they send, the faster we build."
With a demigod like Orion backing them, [Hellscream] was no longer the fragile organization it had been at its inception. Orion had reinforced Grimm's defensive wards and poured resources into the [Eye of the Storm], expanding its radius daily. More importantly, he had laced the storm winds with a specific, debilitating plague. Without the antidote brewed in Grimm, anyone stepping into the Eye of the Storm would find their strength sapped within minutes.
With these layers of protection, Aina felt safe enough to sit in the Windmill Keep and hoard her power.
"Leak a new rumor," Aina ordered. "Tell them Grimm sits on the ruins of an Ancient Dragon's lair. Tell them there are dormant dragon eggs preserved in the vault."
She paused, letting the idea fernt.
"And tell them the Eye of the Storm is the result of the Ancient Dragon's lingering magic."
Rumors of treasure were the ultimate bait. They would attract the desperate adventurers and the greedy nobles alike. Aina would enslave the strong to build her city and break the weak to serve as spies.
Titanion Realm, Stoneheart City
As news of the inter-world war spread, panic swept through the lands. Factions scrambled, and civilians lived in fear of the coming conflict.
Yet, that panic was nowhere to be found in Stoneheart City.
If anything, the city was thriving more than ever. The Stoneheart Horde ran a tight ship. By day, the streets were gridlocked with caravans and rchants, goods flowing in and out in a ceaseless river of comrce. By night, the city transford into a neon-lit playground of vice and luxury.
Shadowy figures moved through the bustling crowds—young nobles from various races, fresh to the city, looking to spend their coin and satisfy their darker cravings.
As the magical lamps flickered to life across the skyline, Lilith set aside her paperwork. She walked down the long, quiet corridors to the palace chambers where Orion slept.
He didn't wake imdiately. Lilith sat on the edge of the bed, watching him in silence. Only when her presence settled into the room did Orion's eyes slowly slide open.
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