Chapter 1108: A New Path

Chapter 1108: A New Path

“Please, Deputy Commander. Continue,” Orion said, his composure unwavering.

Edward nodded, a look of approval in his eyes.

“Divine Power is a given. You’ll reach that the moment you ascend to demigod. The next two stages, Divine Fire and Divine Soul, shouldn’t be a problem either, as long as you have a sufficient supply of divine power.”

These first three stages, while important, were essentially guaranteed milestones for any new demigod with enough faith to fuel their growth.

“Then comes the Divine Calling. This is where the trouble starts. It’s directly related to the rules you’ve comprehended,” Edward explained. “Three different rules will be a massive headache, but I’m sure you can eventually find a Divine Calling capable of housing all of them. What that calling might be, however, I have no idea.”

As he said this, Edward’s expression turned strange. Orion, ever perceptive, caught a hint of morbid amusement in his mentor’s eyes.

“After that is the Divine Spark. To condense the Spark, you must completely fuse your rules into your own Divine Kingdom. This stage is a long, slow grind. Many demigods spend thousands, even tens of thousands of years stuck here. With three rules to integrate, your time commitment will increase exponentially.”

If the Divine Calling was where the trouble started, condensing the Divine Spark was a true sinkhole.

Orion couldn’t help but swallow hard. The fact that he didn’t immediately freak out was a testament to his iron will.

“As for the Divine Body,” Edward continued, “it’s the same story. Others only need to forge a body capable of containing a single rule. You will need to forge one that can handle the power of three. You can imagine for yourself the sheer quantity of rare divine materials and faith that will require.”

Having made his final point, the Deputy Commander fell silent, watching Orion with the air of a man waiting for a show to begin.

“Bro?” Orion asked, turning to Arthas with a weak plea. He thought he had a unique talent; now he realized he’d stumbled into a trap of his own making.

“Don’t look at me. I can’t help you with this,” Arthas said, unable to meet his gaze. “You only just became an Archlord. Normally, you wouldn’t need to know any of this until you hit the peak. We never expected you to find your own catalyst so damn fast.”

Arthas’s voice lacked its usual confidence. As Orion’s mentor, he felt a pang of guilt for not noticing his rapid changes and for failing to warn him of the dangers.

“Bro, my true body is already at the Archlord peak,” Orion confessed. “But the power is inflated. It was built by plundering the faith of others. Based on my own faction’s foundation, I can probably only support the power of a mid-tier Archlord.”

Silence. The sixth floor of the Black Tower fell quiet once more.

“You’re really at the peak already?” It was Alexander who spoke, for the first time.

Orion nodded, then decided to explain. “When I was fighting the Cult of Four’s Archlords, I devour a peak Archlord Abyssal Devourer, absorbing its bloodline and faith. When that avatar returned and fused with my true body, the influx of faith pushed me to the peak.”

In truth, a normal Abyssal Devourer would have little to no pure faith of its own. That particular one had been lured into the Cult of Four by the promise of the very faith they provided it. In a way, Orion hadn’t devoured the monster’s faith, but the Cult of Four’s. It was a complete accident that he had reached the peak so quickly.

“No wonder your Deathly Soul-Reaper felt different when we returned,” Edward mused.

Now, the three demigods finally understood. Orion’s Archlord peak status was a bit shaky, but he was a peak Archlord nonetheless—and one who had awakened his own Lord’s Stone. An Archlord who could touch the rules of reality was, of course, a potential threat even to them.

There was one more thing Orion didn’t mention. The mirrored avatar stationed in the Purification Tower in the Valkorath Realm still held the bloodline he had devoured from the Abyssal Devourer. Fearing a bloodline curse, he hadn’t dared to fuse with it yet. Inside that avatar was a cursed blood cocoon, and until it was gone, fusion was off the table. If he did merge with it, however, his own bloodline power would likely see another significant boost.

“Given your current situation,” Edward said after a long pause, laying out a new path for Orion, “you should sit out the rest of the war in the Silverwood Realm. The Cult of Four is powerful. This will be a long war of attrition. It won’t be too late for you to rejoin the fight after you’ve successfully ascended to demigod.”

It was a suggestion, not an order, but advice from a demigod was something Orion took with the utmost seriousness.

“What the Deputy Commander is saying,” Arthas spelled out, “is that this battlefield is no longer the right place for you to grow. You need to focus on conquering the Godforsaken Lands and other worlds to solidify your current realm and build the foundation you’ll need for your ascension.”

Simply put, Orion needed to expand his territory and population. And if the population wasn’t big enough, he’d have to build it through conquest and slavery.

“You have a decent number of avatars,” Alexander added. “Leading an invasion force into an otherworldly plane shouldn’t be a problem.” Three scrolls appeared in the air before him. “I acquired the coordinates and corresponding maps for three Godforsaken Lands. They’re yours now.”

With a gentle push, the three scrolls floated into Orion’s hands. It was a grand gesture, and a massive favor. Orion’s hands trembled slightly as he held them. For him, this gift was a lifeline.

“Take this,” Edward said, tossing Orion a ring. “It contains thirty Forbidden Curse Scrolls. Five for each of the six basic elements. And don’t even think about eyeing my mage armies. Mages are a precious resource, and they won’t follow you to their deaths unless you trained them yourself.”

The Deputy Commander had not only provided the scrolls but had also snuffed out Orion’s hope of borrowing troops. In truth, he had already given Orion a great deal. Elara, his disciple, was essentially a magic seed he had planted for Orion. Once she matured, the Stoneheart Horde would never lack for mages. But Orion’s situation was unique; he had leaped too far, too fast, and his foundation was too weak. He needed this support from his comrades.

“Now take the stuff and get out of here,” Arthas said gruffly, tossing a crystalline box to Orion. “We need to sleep.”

Orion caught the box, not bothering to open it. He knew that whatever gift Arthas gave him would be extraordinary.