Chapter 1040: The Twelve Pontiffs

Whenever he felt fatigue creeping in, when the hellfire within him began to flicker, he just had to devour an enemy, and new strength and fresh flames would bloom inside him.

At this rate, Dirtclaw thought, his chest swelling with power, I could probably take on a Legendary-level champion and win.

But just then, a meteor shower of phantom scythes rained down from the heavens. The enemy forces charging the undead tower were instantly and utterly annihilated, their bodies vaporized into steam and ash.

A chill of pure terror shot down Dirtclaw’s spine. He realized with sickening certainty that he wouldn’t have been able to withstand even a single one of those phantom blades. His newfound ego evaporated in an instant.

He swallowed hard, trying to force down the sudden wave of fear. Just then, Orion’s familiar voice boomed across the battlefield.

“The broodmother has fled! Their will is broken! New objective: destroy the enemy Nest!”

The voice crashed like thunder, and for a single, stunned moment, the entire warzone froze. Then, the slaughter resumed. Every slash, every bite, every breath was still filled with deadly intent. But something fundamental had shifted.

The morale of the Gnasher Race had completely collapsed.

In contrast, the allied undead and sand scorpion armies surged with triumphant energy. They became an unstoppable tide, beginning to steamroll the Gnasher forces. With Orion looming in the sky above, the outcome was no longer in doubt. Wherever the enemy clustered most thickly, he would unleash his power, and they would be wiped from existence. Against an arch lord, low-tier soldiers were nothing.

“It’s my lord!”

“My lord won! We won!”

“Charge! Kill them all!”

The loudest cheers came from Dirtclaw. The undead and sand scorpions, after all, weren’t much for conversation. But even as he roared with victory, he remembered his duty. He didn’t join the charge, instead holding his ground before the undead tower and the sand scorpion Nest, a loyal and unmoving guardian.

After Orion had played all his cards, the invaders had finally turned the tide.

Titanion Realm, Stoneheart.

With the invasion of the Godforsaken Land progressing, Orion reached out to Arthas.

“Bro, the broodmother in the Godforsaken Land teleported away. I couldn’t finish her. Is that going to be a problem?”

Arthas’s demigod phantom was still locked in combat, but his true body was free to communicate.

“Don’t worry about it,” Arthas’s voice echoed back. “My fight here is almost over. We’ve won.”

It was good news. The dust was finally settling on their campaign. The non-stop, high-intensity warfare had taken a huge toll on Orion. He was eager to end it and shift his full focus to the Silverwood Realm. Based on the intel he had gathered, it was a world of considerable size. Conquering it wouldn’t just expand his territory; it would be a crucial step in leveling up his own power.

“Bro,” Orion began, changing the subject, “have you ever heard of the Cult of Four?”

If Arthas said the Godforsaken Land was a done deal, he believed him. It was time to probe for information on his other front. The Cult of Four has a secret technique for creating arch lords, he reasoned. They have to be a major faction. It was possible that ancient beings like Arthas and Leonidas had encountered them before.

“The Cult of Four?” Arthas replied. “Did the clown recognize you? Is he trying to recruit you?”

Orion froze. What? I’m talking about the Cult, what does that have to do with the clown?

Then, the horrifying implication clicked into place.

“Bro… is the clown a member of the Cult of Four?”

“Yes,” Arthas confirmed. “He is one of their twelve Pontiffs. The Witch is also with them.”

Orion felt a sinking feeling. His plans to conquer the Silverwood Realm were likely dead in the water.

“What did the clown say to you?” Arthas pressed before Orion could respond.

“Bro, I don’t think he’s seen me. I stumbled into a world that the Cult of Four was already in the process of invading.”

Orion quickly explained the situation with Aerin and the Wood Elves. Arthas was silent for a long time.

“Explain it again, clearly,” he finally said.

Orion recounted the entire story.

When he finished, Arthas’s reply was dry. “You lucky bastard. We’ve been hunting for them for ages with no success, and you just happen to trip over the clown and the Cult of Four.”

Orion ignored the jab. “Bro, what are the chances I’ll run into the clown and the Witch in the Silverwood Realm?”

“Very high. The Cult of Four typically invades in force.”

“Then what’s our move?” A grim feeling settled in Orion’s gut. If those two were really in the Silverwood, carving out a new territory for himself would be next to impossible.

“Just because you’ve found the Cult doesn’t guarantee you’ll face them,” Arthas said. “In an age without active gods, our Champions Alliance fears no enemy. Continue your invasion. I’ll notify Alexander and have him keep an eye on your situation.”

This was Arthas’s advice. By bringing in Alexander first, fewer people would be asking for a slice of the pie Orion had discovered.

“If it proves to be too much for you, sharing the Silverwood with the Alliance isn’t a bad outcome for you.”

Orion had to agree with that.

“To be honest, bro, my plan was always to bring the whole crew in on this eventually,” Orion admitted. “I just didn’t expect the demigod faction I ran into would be the damn Cult of Four. I wanted to establish a foothold first, you know?” He hadn’t planned on explaining himself, but he figured it was better if the story came from him, through a bro like Arthas.

“I understand,” Arthas said. “With your current strength, you can defend yourself, but you can’t suppress an entire demigod faction.”

Arthas’s words struck him like a bone-forged sword driving straight through his fragile mind.

“Hey, don’t sell me so short,” Orion shot back playfully. It was a relief that Arthas understood, but being seen through so completely was also a little annoying.

“Even if you wanted our help, it wouldn’t be possible right now,” Arthas continued. “After this battle in the Godforsaken Land, I’ll be entering a period of slumber, just like the Deputy Commander and Alexander. If you need backup, you’ll have to wait for Leonidas to awaken.”

A faint smile entered Arthas’s tone. “Knowing his personality, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to jump at the chance of beating the hell out of the Cult of Four.”