"Go… go… go! Everyone, hide yourselves!"
"If anyone exposes our position, I'll whip them to death!"
Dirtclaw barked orders as he cracked his whip, driving the cannon fodder troops into the dense forest.
The cause of this chaos was the harpy circling in the skies above.
It was the sixth day since Orion had led his forces away from Thunderhawk City, and the frequent appearances of harpy today had caused no small amount of trouble.
Not wanting to expose the location of his troops, Orion had ordered everyone to take cover.
However, hiding tens of thousands of cannon fodder troops wasn't exactly an easy task.
Orion stood in the open, gripping the Bone War Trident tightly as he gazed up at the harpies in the sky.
"Chieftain, should we…" Delilah began, but Orion raised a hand to silence her.
He needed to focus.
Delilah, surprised by the interruption, stared at Orion curiously.
Suddenly, Orion took a step forward, sprinting twenty ters before leaping off a massive tree trunk. Using it as a springboard, he launched himself high into the air.
Whoosh!
At the sa ti, the trident in his hand flew from his grasp, hurtling toward the harpy above.
Boom!
The harpy, flying too low to react, didn't even have ti to scream before the trident pierced through its body, exploding it into a mist of blood.
By the ti Orion landed gracefully back on the ground, there wasn't even a scrap of the harpy left.
The surrounding troops stared at Orion with awe and reverence. His mastery of the trident was nothing short of godlike.
"Chieftain, the appearance of this harpy is likely not a good sign," Prophet Onyx said, his gaze heavy as he looked toward the depths of the forest.
Orion rolled his neck and stretched his shoulders. After several days without combat, he was itching for more action.
"Prophet, what are your thoughts? Speak freely," Orion said, motioning for Dace to relay the order for the troops to continue moving.
Prophet Onyx nodded, organizing his thoughts before speaking.
"Chieftain, that harpy just now clearly ca from the direction of Half-Moon Lake."
"Combined with the harpy the Thunderhawk captured near Thunderhawk City a few days ago, it's clear that their presence is no coincidence."
Orion nodded in agreent.
"I'm wondering," Onyx continued, "how Lord Ariel can spare the manpower to monitor other regions while dealing with Lord Gareth. What does that tell us?"
This question imdiately put everyone on edge.
It didn't take a genius to realize that sothing was wrong.
The most likely explanation was that Lord Gareth was either at a disadvantage or had already been defeated in her confrontation with Lord Ariel.
Orion personally leaned toward the forr—that Lord Gareth was at a disadvantage but not yet defeated.
Prophet Onyx's speculation left the group of elders in a heavy silence.
Sensing the tension, Orion spoke up to ease their concerns.
"It's just a guess. There's no need to worry."
"Even if Lord Gareth has been defeated, Lord Ariel won't have co out unscathed."
Orion was confident in this.
From what he knew of Gareth, a powerhouse of that level wouldn't go down without a fight. Unless the opponent had an overwhelming advantage, such battles usually ended in mutual destruction.
"So, it's highly unlikely we'll encounter Lord Ariel."
"And besides, the harpy that ca to scout us just now is already dead, isn't it?"
"At least for now, we're safe."
Orion's final words allowed the three elders to relax slightly.
Looking up at the sky, Orion couldn't help but wish he had already ford a contract with the Alpha-level Thunderhawk.
If the Thunderhawk were on his side, it could not only scout the surrounding area for enemies but also eliminate any harpies that dared to approach.
As Orion was lost in thought, a commotion erupted from the forest ahead.
"Chieftain, Dirtclaw has captured a lizardman!"
"Bring him here. Don't kill him," Orion ordered, snapping out of his reverie.
---
Monts later, a lizardman was dragged before Orion.
The fact that Slagor had sent another ssenger so quickly confird Orion's suspicions: Slagor's situation was dire.
It was clear that Slagor had agreed to Orion's terms and was now urging him to reach Half-Moon Lake as soon as possible.
"Honorable Chieftain, my chieftain has accepted your terms!" the lizardman ssenger said respectfully.
"My chieftain promises that you will receive 80% of the spoils from the Geckos Tribe, with 10% of that as an additional apology."
As expected, Orion's guess was correct.
He waved a hand, signaling for Dirtclaw to take the lizardman away.
---
Once the ssenger was gone, Orion turned to the elders.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"That Slagor is clever," Delilah said, her voice laced with amusent. "He knows how to sweeten the deal."
"Chieftain, there's not much difference between 70% and 80% of the spoils," she continued, twirling the crescent-shaped dagger Orion had gifted her two days ago.
"By offering more, Slagor not only ensures he completes Lord Gareth's mission but also smooths over his relationship with you."
"Still, when dealing with lizardn, it's best to stay cautious. Slagor is a sly one."
Delilah's seductive deanor, combined with her sharp insights, made her all the more captivating. Her every movent exuded an irresistible allure.
"Slagor is indeed a cunning fellow," Orion agreed, before turning his attention to Prophet Onyx.
"Chieftain, I believe Slagor is desperate. That's why he's so eager to secure your help," Onyx said.
"If we want to leverage Slagor's forces for our own purposes, we need to move quickly."
"We can't let his troops suffer heavy losses. Otherwise, helping him will be pointless."
Onyx's point was valid. Preserving Slagor's forces was crucial. Only with his army intact could they use him to tackle their next major target: Stormrage City.
This would allow Orion to continue his southern campaign, seizing even more resources.
"Rendall, what about you?" Orion asked, turning to the giant elder.
Rendall scratched his chin, his fingers brushing over his bristly beard.
To be honest, Rendall often felt out of his depth during these discussions. Whenever Prophet Onyx or Delilah shared their insights, he couldn't help but feel a bit foolish.
"You've already covered the important points. I've got nothing to add," Rendall admitted with a shrug.
His blunt honesty made the corners of Orion, Onyx, and Delilah's mouths twitch.
Still, none of them dared laugh outright, not wanting to embarrass him.
"But there's one thing I don't understand," Rendall added after a mont.
"Slagor claims to be a dragon, but he's really just a lizardman—a swamp lizard, right?"
"The Geckos and lizardn share so blood ties. They're practically cousins. So why can't Slagor handle the Geckos Tribe at Half-Moon Lake?"
Orion frowned. That was a question he hadn't considered.
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