This was Orion's first ti using his newly learned skill, and it was clear he hadn't yet mastered it. There were many nuances he hadn't grasped, such as the fact that the eight spears forming the Eightfold Spear Barrage could actually be controlled individually. For now, Orion lacked the precision to manipulate them effectively.
"Rayden, don't let him get close. Physical attacks are useless against him—we need elental attacks!"
Orion remained calm, his voice steady.
After two exchanges, he had gleaned so insight into Gustalon's abilities.
As a wind elental, Gustalon was an elental lifeform. Physical attacks were ineffective against him, as he could transform into a tornado and disperse any blows. However, elental attacks—such as lightning or fire—could harm him.
Hearing this, Thunderhawk Rayden let out an excited screech, its body crackling with lightning. It seed eager to exact revenge for its earlier injuries.
Orion also had a theory: illusions might be able to control a wind elental like Gustalon. Unfortunately, neither Delilah nor Lilith was present to test this idea.
Even so, Orion recognized Gustalon as a significant threat.
Aside from himself, any of the Stoneheart Horde's Alpha-level subordinates could easily fall victim to Gustalon if they weren't careful.
Orion's gaze toward Gustalon was filled with killing intent.
"Rayden, let's go!"
Rayden let out a low cry, its body glowing with lightning as it dove toward the tornado that was Gustalon.
Boom!
Before it even reached its target, Rayden unleashed a bolt of lightning.
"Such a troubleso creature!"
Gustalon muttered, his form dissolving into an invisible gust of wind, effortlessly evading the incoming lightning.
Rayden, anticipating this, flapped its wings and began circling the area, scanning for any signs of movent.
Orion, gripping his trident, also observed his surroundings carefully.
If one paid close attention to the traces of wind and listened to its whispers, Gustalon's movents could be tracked.
However, Gustalon's position shifted constantly.
Every ti Orion's gaze locked onto him, Gustalon would already have moved to another location.
High above the clouds, the wind howled, and lightning crackled as the two sides entered a tense standoff.
"You're a clever giant. You've earned the right to tell
your na. Who are you?"
Gustalon's voice echoed from all directions, his form nowhere to be seen.
"Orion Stoneheart!"
"I am the Alpha of the Black Forest. Any invader who dares trespass into my territory will be annihilated!"
Orion declared his identity and his stance toward enemies.
This wasn't a secret—Orion's na was well-known among the Four Domains. By revealing it, he hoped to bait Gustalon into revealing useful information.
"Hahaha… Annihilate?"
"For soone like , who moves freely between the Abyssal Chasm and the Black Forest, do you really think you can stop ?"
Gustalon's tone was arrogant, his words dripping with disdain. As the embodint of wind, he considered himself untouchable.
"Are you truly free?"
"Last year, why didn't you invade the Black Forest? Why didn't you co to the Abyssal Chasm?"
"Because you didn't dare!"
Orion's retort was sharp, his confidence unwavering.
Gustalon's expression darkened, but before he could respond, Orion pressed on.
"Submit to , and I'll lead you southward. You'll see denser forests, brighter sunlight, and more vibrant flowers!"
This was Orion's attempt to recruit Gustalon—a rare move for him.
Typically, Orion would beat his enemies into submission before offering them a chance to join him. But Gustalon, as a unique elental lifeform, was too valuable to pass up. Whether as a subordinate or a subject of study, Gustalon's potential was imnse.
"Hahaha… What did I just hear?"
"A giant… wants
to submit?"
"Wind, free and unbound, did you hear that?"
"An Alpha-level giant wants to recruit !"
Gustalon's laughter was tinged with madness, disbelief, and anger.
Despite this, Orion remained composed, his tone serious as he continued his offer.
"Follow , and your life will be far better than aimlessly drifting across the icefields."
Gustalon's laughter abruptly stopped. He stared at Orion as if the giant had lost his mind.
"Giants truly are a brainless race. How dare he entertain such a ridiculous notion of subduing !"
This was Gustalon's inner thought, and his gaze toward Orion was filled with contempt.
Boom!
At that mont, Thunderhawk Rayden seized the opportunity. While Gustalon was lost in thought, Rayden unleashed a bolt of lightning.
Bang!
The lightning struck the tornado, causing the wind to roar violently. Gustalon's voice, now filled with rage, echoed through the air.
"Damn thunderbird! If I get the chance, I'll pluck every feather from your body!"
Whoosh…
Along with his voice ca a massive wind blade, slicing horizontally through the air.
Rayden, quick to react, flapped its wings and ascended higher, narrowly avoiding the attack.
When the Thunderhawk stabilized, the skies around them fell silent.
Gustalon was gone.
Orion directed Rayden to circle the area, but they found no trace of the wind elental.
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"Rayden, let's head north."
After a mont of thought, Orion decided to continue northward.
He wouldn't rest until he had seen the invading forces from the icefields with his own eyes.
---
The Next Day
From atop the Thunderhawk, Orion finally spotted the invaders on the horizon.
Like a flood, they surged southward—a massive wolf pack, their numbers seemingly endless.
Sensing the Thunderhawk's presence, a deep, resonant howl echoed from within the pack, long and powerful.
Rayden carried Orion closer, flying above the wolves. As Orion looked down, he couldn't help but gasp.
The sheer number of wolves was staggering.
By his rough estimate, there were no fewer than 200,000 icefield snow wolves, ranging in size from small to massive.
It was clear that entire wolf families—young and old—had joined the invasion.
Orion felt a surge of frustration and anger, his thoughts turning to Lord Gareth.
"Does Gareth even know the scale of this invasion?"
He extended his senses, scanning the pack for any signs of Alpha-level power.
To his relief, he detected only one Alpha-level aura.
"Rayden, let's head back."
Having confird the identity and scale of the invaders, Orion's mission was complete.
It was ti to return and ensure that Onyx, Thundar, and the others were fully prepared for the battle to co.
---
Two Days Later.
Orion returned to the first ambush point on the Black Forest border.
"Chieftain, you're back!" Onyx greeted him imdiately upon seeing him.
"Yes, I'm back. Where's Thundar?"
Not seeing Thundar right away, Orion found it odd.
"Chieftain, Thundar went to inspect the defenses and traps in the ravines. He should be back soon once he hears of your return."
Orion nodded, then asked Onyx another question.
"Any news from Slagor and Gronthar? When will they arrive?"
"According to the scouts' reports, at their current pace, it'll take them another seven or eight days to reach here."
Onyx relayed the information he had received, and Orion's eyes narrowed slightly.
It was clear that Slagor and Gronthar wouldn't make it in ti for the first ambush.
Given the speed of the icefield snow wolves, they would reach the ravines in no more than five days.
"Send word to the scouts: instruct Slagor and Gronthar to head directly to the second ambush point."
"Chieftain, has sothing unexpected happened?"
Orion nodded, confirming Onyx's suspicion.
However, he didn't elaborate imdiately. He waited for about half an hour until Thundar returned with a few subordinates. Only then did Orion share what he had seen and learned during his reconnaissance.
"In no more than five days, the snow wolf pack from the icefields will arrive here. Their numbers are no less than 200k."
"In this direction, I've only identified two Alpha-level threats so far."
"One is a wind elental nad Gustalon. His movents are elusive, his attacks are strange and difficult to counter, and physical attacks are ineffective against him."
"The other is likely the Alpha of the wolf pack—the Wolf King. I couldn't determine its exact strength."
The intelligence Orion brought back left Onyx and Thundar exchanging uneasy glances.
The sheer number of 200,000 icefield snow wolves was terrifying enough. But the addition of Gustalon, with his invisible and unpredictable attacks, made the situation even more dire.
"Chieftain, how do we deal with the wind elental?"
Onyx's tone was heavy. While his petrified skin could enhance his defenses, he wasn't confident it could withstand sustained wind blade attacks.
Wind elentals, being composed of pure wind energy, could release wind blades with minimal effort. Onyx's concern was well-founded.
"Chieftain, what if that wind elental specifically targets our bloodline warriors during the battle?"
Thundar's question hit a nerve. It was sothing neither Orion nor Onyx had considered.
Orion's expression grew grim.
Given Gustalon's abilities, the bloodline warriors in the Horde would be as vulnerable as ordinary soldiers. If Gustalon decided to focus on slaughtering them, it would be devastating.
Orion frowned, deep in thought for a long mont, before asking Thundar a question.
"When will Delilah arrive?"
"According to the last report, the Elder of Stewardship will arrive in three days."
Orion let out a sigh of relief. As long as Delilah arrived before the ambush began, there was still ti.
"Chieftain, are you planning to use illusions to counter the wind elental?"
Onyx quickly deduced Orion's intentions.
"Yes. While Rayden's lightning attacks can harm the wind elental, it's difficult for the Thunderhawk to track Gustalon's movents."
"And once the ambush begins, the noise of the battlefield will make it even harder to locate him."
"Our best option is to rely on Delilah's large-scale illusions. With her controlling the battlefield, we'll have a better chance of managing the situation."
Orion's explanation reassured Onyx and Thundar, giving them a sense of direction.
However, Orion himself was still uneasy.
The idea that illusions could restrain Gustalon was just a theory—he couldn't guarantee it would work.
But he couldn't voice these doubts. Doing so would only demoralize his forces.
If he expressed uncertainty, it would ripple through the ranks, from Onyx and Thundar down to the bloodline warriors, leaving everyone anxious and hesitant.
"Chieftain, should we send an urgent ssage to Delilah, urging her to arrive sooner?"
"Delilah doesn't know the situation here as well as we do. I'm worried she might delay her arrival while handling logistics and coordinating Slagor and Gronthar."
Onyx's suggestion to expedite Delilah's arrival made sense. After a mont of consideration, Orion nodded in agreent.
"Thundar, send word to the Sentinel Corps to urge Delilah to hurry."
Thundar nodded, imdiately leaving the cave to relay the order.
With that, Orion and his team at the first ambush point continued their preparations, awaiting the enemy's arrival.
---
To the West – Desert Oasis
The Desert Oasis was a vast expanse of sand, where the temperature was perpetually high.
But for so reason, snow had begun to fall in the scorching desert. A thick layer of white now blanketed the ground, burying the endless dunes beneath it.
Snow Wraith Lumi was a strikingly beautiful woman, her hair and brows as white as silver threads.
Her whiteness was different from that of the Weeping Banshees—it was purer, almost ethereal.
Her deanor exuded a cold, sacred elegance, making her seem untouchable.
Like Gustalon, Lumi was also an elental lifeform, though her form was more complete and refined.
Lumi's relationship with Lord Jorik wasn't one of subordination. However, in exchange for resources and territory, Lumi had agreed to follow Jorik in his southern campaign.
This desert was the territory Jorik had promised to Lumi.
The fact that Jorik had chosen to grant a desert to the snow wraiths as their domain spoke volus about his wariness of Lumi.
But Lumi didn't care.
Unless she encountered a powerful fire elental, she could bring snow and cold wherever she went. To her, all places were the sa.
The once-scorching desert had been transford into a frozen wasteland. Snow fell endlessly, and in the midst of the storm, Lumi stood alone.
She moved southward, leaving no trace in the snow, like a spirit of ice and frost—beautiful yet solitary.
Lumi alone was an army, capable of conquering the south by herself.
"Soraya, it's been so many years. Won't you co out to greet an old friend?"
Lumi's voice was cool and clear, like the sound of ice crystals chiming together.
Her words carried across the snow-covered desert, lingering in the air.
Deep beneath the desert, in a vast underground palace, Scorpion Queen Soraya sat on her throne, sipping a goblet of fresh blood.
Suddenly, Lumi's voice echoed through the palace, startling the scorpions within.
"Soraya, it's been so many years…"
Soraya's movents froze for a mont. Slowly, she raised her head, her gaze fixed on the dark ceiling of the underground palace.
"She's quick to arrive," Soraya muttered, downing the rest of her blood in one gulp.
"Your Majesty, shall we go out and teach her a lesson?"
The speaker was Jarex, a hot-tempered giant scorpion warrior. Lumi's words, though not overtly insulting, carried an air of condescension toward the scorpion tribe.
This infuriated Jarex, who was eager to surface and confront the snow wraith.
"Snow has fallen, burying the desert in thick ice. Jarex, do you really enjoy fighting in such a cold environnt?"
"If you want to die, I won't stop you."
Soraya's voice was calm, devoid of emotion. Her gaze toward Jarex was cold and indifferent.
Jarex fell silent, unsure of what to do.
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