Orion’s tone was deadly serious. There was no room for jokes. Clearing the dreamscape meant a literal war of attrition between their reality and the Mirage Void Ascendant Plane. This was planar warfare.
As Blackstone City’s borders expanded, they were guaranteed to encounter the native horrors of the Mirage Void, not to mention the counterattacks and ambushes from its established, ruling powers. While the Titanion Realm bolstered Orion and his people, the Will of the Mirage Void would undoubtedly empower its own defenders.
It would be a brutal tug-of-war. No one knew how long the war would last.
Makareth: "Orion... Orion, can it really manifest anything?"
Makareth: "Lord’s Stones, mana sources, special structures... what about the relics we’ve used? Can we exchange for those?"
The concept of the Wishing Tree had pletely hooked Makareth. In the Abyssal World, enemies were everywhere. Fighting for a territory the size of a palm required endless reconnaissance just to ensure he didn’t accidentally offend a demigod who could swat him out of existence. If the Wishing Tree functioned exactly as Orion claimed, he could obtain the exact resources he desperately needed. His path to the demigod realm would be vastly smoother.
Hulk: "You must understand that all things are born from World Essence. Relics, and the laws embedded within them, are no exception."
Hulk: "As long as Blackstone City’s territory is large enough and the Wishing Tree is strong enough, manifesting relics is entirely possible. In theory, even divine artifacts and a Divine Mantle could be formed."
Orion omitted a crucial detail. The Wishing Tree was entirely incapable of producing such high-tier items in its current state; it could only grant minor, low-level requests. To aid Arch Lords and demigods, the tree first needed to grow and devour a colossal amount of World Essence.
Makareth: "Count me in for the vanguard, Orion!"
As a Demon, greed was Makareth’s core nature. He didn’t even hesitate.
Kraken: "I’m sitting this one out for now. I’ll join you after I hit the demigod realm."
Hulk: "Understood. Focus on your breakthrough."
Kraken knew his priorities. His most urgent task was to grasp his own law and ascend. As an apex Arch Lord, absorbing more World Essence wouldn’t help him break through the final bottleneck.
Isabella: "The insect swarm beyond The Bastion Wall hasn’t been dealt with yet, and now we’re launching a foreign invasion? Seriously, can you guys handle this?"
Isabella was no fool. Having spent considerable time in the Titanion Realm, she knew it was plagued by internal strife and external threats. One misstep, and the entire board could collapse. If the realm was devoured, the cake they had all worked so hard to bake would just be served at someone else’s table.
Hulk: "Trust me. Trust the mander. Trust the Champions Alliance."
Hulk: "We are Awakened. We are Survivors. We are uniquely favored."
Orion projected absolute confidence, inspiring the others and steeling his own resolve.
Isabella: "Fine. Count me in." Ultimately, Isabella chose to bet on herself.
Tangere: "I will go."
Orion was Tangere’s guide and mentor. He was already strapped to this ship, and he wouldn’t abandon it. He volunteered without asking questions. He trusted that if there was anything he needed to know beforehand, Orion would tell him.
Aurora: "Count me in too, Boss! But I have a lot to arrange on my end. It’ll be a while before I can enter the dream to help."
Aurora had been quiet, privately messaging Kraken for advice. Following Kraken’s logic, the best time for her to enter the dreamscape was after he ascended and scouted Blackstone City himself. That way, with a demigod watching her back, she wouldn’t die a quiet, meaningless death if she ran into trouble.
Hulk: "Tangere, Aurora—I’ll grant you both special clearance. You can enter Blackstone City purely to cultivate and raise your power. You are not to join the vanguard until you reach the Arch Lord realm."
Hulk: "As long as you stay within the city walls, your lives are not at risk."
Orion was endlessly patient with the younger members of the Champions Alliance. They possessed immense potential and talent, making them his strongest future allies. He was willing to invest in them and make concessions.
Hearing this, both Tangere and Aurora were ecstatic. Reaching the Arch Lord realm was their primary goal. Within the Champions Alliance, you barely had a voice until you hit that tier. In the outside world, an Arch Lord was a regional powerhouse. As long as they didn’t provoke a demigod, their factions would secure a long, stable period of growth.
Tangere: "Understood."
Aurora: "Thank you, Boss!"
Once Tangere and Aurora finished speaking, the mander picked up where Orion left off.
mander Thresh: "Prepare your defenses on that side. I am going to move a satellite city to orbit Blackstone City. The spatial disruption will be massive. I will need your divine light to guide the transit."
The mander was the first to recognize that the absolute safety of Blackstone City was the crux of the entire war. As long as Orion’s city held, they controlled the initiative and maintained Hope, even if the cities from the other three continents fell to the Mirage Void.
Truthfully, the mander didn’t trust outsiders. He only trusted himself and his brothers in the Champions Alliance.
Hulk: "Understood."
Orion didn’t bother with pleasantries. He and the mander were deeply bound to the same fate. Blackstone City wasn’t just Orion’s future; it was the mander’s as well. As long as the city stood, the Titanion Realm had a chance to devour the Mirage Void and potentially forge a Divine Mantle.
And the Divine Mantle was what both Orion and the mander sought above all else.
Deputy mander Edward: "Our strength is a bit lower, so Leonidas, the Assassin, Arthas, and I will pool our resources. We will build a second satellite city for you."
Following the mander’s lead, Deputy mander Edward spoke for the demigod-tier brothers. Building a satellite city outside Blackstone City meant they would form the first line of defense. If monsters swarmed or native powers attacked, they would be the first to face death.
Deputy mander Edward: "Furthermore, I will personally speak with the Chairman of the Saint Gran Council. I will push the Council to build a satellite city as well."
Deputy mander Edward: "On the Titan continent, the Council won’t gain much territory or see massive profits. But in the dreamscape, they can expand and plunder freely. It’s a massive opportunity for the Council. They are unlikely to pass it up."
It was the harsh truth. The Titan continent belonged to Orion. No matter how many powerful allies he invited, he couldn’t carve up his own land to give them massive fiefdoms. If he gave away too much, how would his own faction grow? Any land he offered them would be purely symbolic.
Hulk: "Thank you, Deputy mander."
User Comments
0 comments from readers