"Is this thing a dark creature?"
Orion stared at the dark source crystal in his hand, his expression filled with surprise and doubt.
He had always assud the terrifying spiked worm was just an underground beast, but now it seed it was actually a creature from the dark beast tides.
Narrowing his eyes, Orion began to recall everything he knew about the terrifying spiked worm.
"That's right. When I first explored the underground fissure, it was during the dark beast tides!"
"Which ans this thing must have been left behind from the last dark beast tides!"
Orion's eyes brightened with realization, but new questions began to surface in his mind.
"So, where did the terrifying spiked worm hide to survive the retreat of the dark beast tides?"
"Could it be… the bottomless abyss?"
The thought struck him like lightning, and the more he considered it, the more plausible it seed.
"What exactly lies beneath the bottomless abyss?"
Orion's curiosity burned, but now wasn't the ti to dwell on it.
"Orion, most of the worms are dead, but a few managed to burrow into the cracks around us!"
Although the terrifying spiked worm had been killed, Rendall's expression remained grim.
Those remaining underground worms, if left unchecked, could one day evolve into another terrifying spiked worm. It was a problem that couldn't be ignored.
"Don't worry. I'll have little Lorelia send her spiderlings to flush them out and finish them off."
Hearing Orion's plan, Rendall's mood eased slightly.
Just as Rendall was about to speak again, a faint rustling sound echoed from the fissure walls on both sides.
"More enemies?"
"No, it's little Lorelia's spiderlings," Orion said, calming Rendall's nerves.
Monts later, Spider Queen Lorelia herself descended along the stone walls.
"Master, are all the terrifying worms dead?"
Orion pointed to the smoldering remains of the terrifying spiked worm on the ground, signaling for Lorelia to see for herself.
"Ah… what a pity!"
"Master, do you know? These worms would've been the perfect food for my children!"
"If they ate these worms, they might grow even stronger!"
Spider Queen Lorelia sighed as she looked at the charred corpses scattered across the ground.
"There are still so alive in the cracks. They're yours to deal with. Make sure to flush them all out and kill them!"
Lorelia's eyes lit up with excitent at Orion's words.
"As you wish, Master! Little Lorelia will handle this beautifully!"
"Did Lilith send you down here?"
"Yes, Master. Mistress was worried about you and asked
to check on you."
Orion nodded, then turned to Rendall.
"Elder, stay here and keep watch for a while. I'm going to explore further ahead."
"Understood, Orion. Be careful!"
Orion nodded and began walking toward the direction of the bottomless abyss.
---
As he moved forward, the traces of worms crawling across the ground beca increasingly evident.
It was clear that both the underground worms and the terrifying spiked worm had erged from the bottomless abyss.
Standing at the edge of the cliff, Orion gazed into the darkness below. A decision ford in his mind: this place would beco a restricted zone for the horde, designated as a breeding ground.
Yes, after careful consideration, Orion decided to incorporate the underground fissure into the territory of Blackstone Town, transforming it into a breeding ground for cave spiders.
Not only would he build walls around the area, but he would also establish it as Spider Queen Lorelia's domain, allowing her to breed countless cave spiders.
By using spiders to control the worms, Orion could ensure that any creatures erging from the bottomless abyss would be detected imdiately.
---
"Orion, is this the bottomless abyss you ntioned?"
"Yes, this is it."
Orion turned to see Rendall, who had quietly approached from behind.
"Most of the underground worms have been flushed out and killed. The rest are still being hunted down."
"Thundar brought a team of bloodline warriors down here, so the other side doesn't need
to stand guard anymore," Rendall explained.
Orion nodded, then decided to share his thoughts.
"Elder, this place will be designated as a restricted zone for the horde."
"The terrifying spiked worm you saw earlier. I knocked it into this abyss before, but not only did it survive, it ca back stronger."
"I suspect there's an underground world down there—or perhaps it connects to so unknown space."
"Whatever the case, it's beyond our current ability to explore. For now, we need to isolate this area."
Rendall frowned deeply. He had lived in Moonshadow Valley for many years but had never imagined such a secret lay beneath it.
"Orion, the secrets of this place…"
"Will only be known to Alpha-level powerhouses. In fact, this area will be designated as a rotation point for Alpha-level guards."
"It has to be this way."
Hearing Orion's plan, Rendall finally felt reassured.
"We were lucky to return in ti. If we hadn't, the horde would've suffered catastrophic losses!"
Orion smiled faintly, nodding before shaking his head.
"Before we landed, I saw that part of the horde had already been evacuated."
"Lilith and the others had prepared a fallback plan."
"Still, the sudden appearance of the terrifying spiked worm… if we hadn't shown up, the bloodline warriors left behind would've been wiped out."
Rendall nodded, still shaken by the thought.
"Orion, from now on, I'll stay behind in Moonshadow Valley. We can't leave it completely unguarded again."
"I was thinking the sa thing."
Orion understood Rendall's point. The horde needed soone to stay behind and oversee its safety.
During the Myriad Races Invasion, Orion had taken all the Alpha-level powerhouses with him.
There were many reasons for this, but one of the main ones was Orion's own fear of death.
If Orion were to die, the Stoneheart Horde's fate and glory would die with him.
Orion and the Stoneheart Horde were deeply intertwined. At least, that's how Orion saw it for now.
"In the future, during the Myriad Races Invasion, either you or the prophet will stay behind. No matter what."
"That way, I can march into battle without worrying about what's left behind."
Rendall nodded, fully agreeing with Orion's plan.
"Good. This ti, I've learned a lot from venturing out."
"Orion, compared to the other races out there, I think our giant tribe's population is far too small."
"From now on, I'll push our people to have more children. I'll teach them powerful combat techniques and hunting skills."
"And you, Orion—you don't have enough won in your tent!"
"…"
Rendall's chatter brought a rare sense of warmth to Orion, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long ti.
Putting aside his thoughts, Orion walked back to the other side of the underground fissure with Rendall.
"Chieftain!"
"Prophet!"
Thundar, who had been busy evacuating the horde mbers, greeted them as they returned.
Orion placed a hand on Thundar's shoulder and said calmly, "You've worked hard."
Thundar shook his head. "Not at all, Chieftain."
"Are the worms cleared out?" Orion asked, quickly shifting the conversation to the matter at hand.
"All the worms we found have been dealt with. The spiderlings are still searching the cracks, and we should have results soon."
Orion nodded and said no more. Instead, he walked over to Spider Queen Lorelia.
"How's the environnt here? Is it suitable for your cave spiders?"
Lorelia, shorter than Orion, stretched out her arms, trying to hug him like she used to when she was smaller, wanting to climb onto him.
"You've grown up now. No more clinging to
like a child," Orion said, pressing a hand against her head to stop her from climbing onto him.
"Master, do you not like
anymore?"
Orion didn't answer her question. Instead, he pointed toward the underground fissure.
"Do you like it here? I'm planning to designate this place as the nesting ground for your cave spider clan."
"Really, Master? Are you serious?"
"Yes, it's true. This will be your territory from now on."
"Wow, cool! Master, little Lorelia finally has a ho that isn't that tiny wooden box!"
Orion sighed, speechless. Lorelia still hadn't forgotten the small wooden box she had been kept in as a child.
"This will be your domain, but you must clear out all the underground worms."
"And from now on, no other species will be allowed to settle here—only your kind."
Lorelia's excitent grew as she listened. The underground fissure was an ideal environnt for cave spiders.
The vast expanse of the fissure was a natural, massive underground lair. With a bit of work to reshape the cracks and boulders, it would beco the perfect breeding ground for her spiders.
"Master, you're so good to !"
Once again, Lorelia tried to climb onto Orion, but he stopped her and instead took her hand, leading her toward the bottomless abyss.
A mont later, Orion pointed toward the abyss.
"That terrifying spiked worm—I knocked it down there before, but it climbed back up."
"I suspect there's another world or space down there, but we're not ready to explore it yet."
"I'm giving you a task: guard this place and send your spiderlings down to scout regularly."
"If you find anything, report to
imdiately."
Lorelia stared into the abyss, her gaze uncertain.
"Master, do you know how deep this abyss is?"
Orion shook his head, picked up a large rock, and tossed it into the darkness below.
After a long silence, Orion turned to Lorelia and said, "See? No sound, no reaction. That's why it's called a bottomless abyss."
A flicker of fear appeared in Lorelia's eyes. She was clearly unsettled.
"Don't be afraid. I'll assign Alpha-level powerhouses to patrol here regularly and assist you in guarding this place."
Hearing this, Lorelia finally relaxed. Her fear had stemd from the possibility of another Alpha-level creature crawling out of the abyss. If that happened, this wouldn't be a ho for spiders—it would be their grave.
"Grow stronger as quickly as you can. I want to take you with
on the next Myriad Races Invasion."
"Master, can little Lorelia really do that?"
"You can. Work hard. If you reach the peak of hero-level by this winter, I'll prioritize your advancent to Alpha-level."
"M-Master, you're not lying to little Lorelia, are you?"
Orion gently patted her head, just as he used to when she was smaller, and gave her a light tap.
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"Rember, the more children you have, the better. I'll make sure you have plenty of food."
"I want you to be able to guard this bottomless abyss on your own one day."
"Not just guard it—explore the world below for ."
To be honest, Orion was painting a grand vision for Lorelia, setting ambitious goals for her.
Lay eggs, grow stronger, advance to Alpha-level, guard the underground fissure, and explore the bottomless abyss—these were the long-term objectives Orion had laid out for her.
"Once we leave, have your spiderlings block off this path and narrow the entrance."
"Your mission begins now."
Orion's expression was serious, and his tone was firm.
"As you command, Master!"
---
Afterward, Orion gave Thundar a few tasks, instructing him to stay until everything was settled before returning to Moonshadow Valley.
Rendall, still uneasy, insisted on staying with Thundar.
Orion didn't object and began climbing back up with the two giants.
---
When Orion returned to the stone walls of Moonshadow Valley, Lilith was still waiting for him.
This ti, however, she wasn't alone. Standing beside her was Lysinthia, whom Orion hadn't seen in a long ti.
Although Lysinthia hadn't participated in the battle, she had been busy.
With the Twilight Viper as her guardian beast, Lysinthia had been helping Earthshaker transport supplies to the temporary camp.
When the horde mbers began evacuating, she used the Twilight Viper to escort the won and children to safety.
She had repeated this task multiple tis until news of Orion and Rendall's return reached her. Only then did she finally stop.
"You've worked hard," Orion said as he approached, wrapping his arms around the two won who had been tirelessly protecting the horde.
"The terrifying spiked worm is dead. The major threat has been dealt with. Rendall is guarding the fissure now, so you can rest."
Lilith nodded. Orion's return ant she could finally relax.
"Chieftain, the horde mbers heard you've returned. They've stopped heading to the temporary camp and are rushing back here instead," Earthshaker reported as he approached, bowing deeply before speaking.
"It's fine. Let them co back."
"As for the supplies, they can be transported back slowly."
"Earthshaker, I have two tasks for you."
Earthshaker straightened his posture, looking ready for anything, which made Orion chuckle.
It was clear Earthshaker was still a bit resentful about not being taken on the Myriad Races Invasion campaign.
"First, organize a team of Obsidian Golems to carve out a passage between the underground fissure and Moonshadow Valley."
"Second, clear the remaining open spaces in Blackstone Town to prepare for the arrival of the force."
"Our force numbers over 50,000!"
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