Black Forest Border – Days Later
This was a rugged region of intersecting ravines and dense forests, a unique terrain created by the intertwining of underground caves and woodland.
It was also one of the main routes connecting the Abyssal Chasm to the Black Forest, and the first ambush site Orion had prepared.
Screech!
A sharp eagle cry pierced the sky as Prophet Onyx emerged from a nearby cave, waving to guide Orion down.
"Chieftain, over here!"
Onyx and Thundar approached to greet Orion as he dismounted from the Thunderhawk. They had arrived two days earlier and had been busy setting up traps and defensive lines.
"Chieftain, any news?"
Prophet Onyx, ever perceptive, noticed that Orion seemed troubled.
"Several days ago, I scouted east on the Thunderhawk and discovered that Slagor has migrated his entire tribe from the Poison Dragon Swamp to our Black Forest."
Orion didn't hold back, sharing the details of Slagor's actions.
"Chieftain, didn't you reject Slagor's request? Why would he still migrate to our territory?"
Thundar frowned. Slagor's actions were tantamount to an invasion—a blatant provocation.
"Hmph! That shameless lizard claimed his messenger never returned and must have been killed by the beasts of our Black Forest!"
Orion snorted, clearly unimpressed by Slagor's excuse.
"Chieftain, that's obviously just a pretext," Onyx said, his tone sharp. "Slagor migrated here because he fears the icefield invaders and their monsters."
Orion nodded. Onyx had hit the nail on the head.
He then explained how he had dealt with Slagor and the Trolls, leaving Onyx visibly stunned.
"Chieftain, Slagor really tricked the Trolls into coming here and offered them to us as a gift?"
"That lizard is insane!"
Orion nodded again, offering no further explanation.
In the past, the Trolls' decision to submit would have been a cause for celebration. But things were different now.
With the Stoneheart Horde growing stronger, the Trolls' value had diminished.
Slagor's actions had merely accelerated the inevitable.
"Slagor and Gronthar are heading north to join us. For now, let's focus on the current situation."
Orion had already informed Delilah about Slagor and Gronthar while en route. He trusted Delilah to handle the elderly, women, and children being escorted to Blackstone City.
"Chieftain, look here," Onyx said, leading Orion to a ridge overlooking the ravines. He gestured toward the sprawling network of gullies below.
"This area of ravines is the main route connecting the Abyssal Chasm to the Black Forest."
"Other routes require crossing mountains, which would exhaust the enemy and waste their time."
"That's why we're certain this is the path the enemy will take to move south."
Orion nodded. This area had been discussed extensively during the council meeting and was unanimously agreed upon as the first ambush site.
"How are the preparations?"
This time, it was Thundar who answered.
"Chieftain, Elder Dirtclaw is leading the cannon fodder troops to set traps throughout the ravines. They've been working for two days, and the traps in the forward areas are nearly complete."
"Our warriors have also dug numerous tunnels along the ridges to conceal themselves."
Orion squinted, observing the faintly visible activity of the gnolls and geckos in the ravines below. After a moment of thought, he turned to Thundar.
"The first wave of attacks will hit when the enemy is at their strongest and most numerous. We need to crush their morale right from the start."
"This terrain is ideal for blocking and flanking. Have our bloodline warriors attack from the ridges with ranged weapons. Focus on killing as many as possible."
"Remember—hit and retreat. Avoid direct confrontation."
Orion's strategy was sound, but it deviated slightly from the original plan.
"Chieftain, aren't we aiming to take out their leaders in this ambush?"
The decapitation strategy had been one of the primary objectives of the first ambush.
"We'll decide on the decapitation strike based on the situation," Orion replied.
"For now, our priority is to conserve our forces and minimize casualties."
Orion glanced at Thundar, who was staring at him intently, and at Onyx, who was frowning in thought. He decided to share his concerns.
"Slagor's forced migration to the Black Forest was unexpected."
"Slagor is cunning. He's a coward, yes, but his actions indirectly confirm how powerful and troublesome the icefield invaders are."
"When the invaders find the Poison Dragon Swamp empty, they'll likely redirect their forces toward the Black Forest."
Orion's prediction was highly plausible, and it was his greatest concern.
If things got worse, the invaders attacking the western desert might also turn toward the Black Forest.
If that happened, the Black Forest would become the focal point of the invasion—a dire situation.
"What?"
"This…"
Both Thundar and Onyx were visibly shaken by the implications.
The Horde had brought only a limited number of bloodline warriors for this campaign. Even with the cannon fodder troops, their total force barely exceeded 50,000.
If both the northern and eastern fronts were invaded, this force would be woefully insufficient.
"I don't know the situation in the western desert yet," Orion continued.
"But we must prepare for the worst."
"That's why conserving our forces during the ambush is our top priority."
The possibility of a western invasion left Onyx and Thundar feeling disheartened.
"The situation is grim, but there's some good news," Orion said, attempting to lift their spirits.
"At least Slagor and Gronthar have brought their tribes' bloodline warriors. Our numbers are increasing."
"I've also instructed Delilah to send more scouts to the eastern and western fronts."
"If anything happens, we'll know immediately."
Orion gazed out over the ravines, summarizing the current situation for Onyx and Thundar.
This was to ensure they understood the stakes and could adjust their approach during the ambush.
"Prophet, Thundar, I'm leaving this area in your hands."
Orion placed two fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp whistle.
The Thunderhawk appeared in the sky, diving toward Orion's position.
With a powerful leap, Orion mounted the Thunderhawk's back, leaving the ambush site in the hands of Onyx and Thundar.
He had no intention of staying. With the situation evolving, Orion needed to scout the northern frontlines personally.
This time, his destination was clear—the Abyssal Chasm.
Orion intended to infiltrate Gareth's territory and uncover the current state of affairs.
---
Abyssal Chasm
This was a region riddled with craters and pits, at least from Orion's vantage point high in the sky.
From above, the terrain appeared harsh and uneven, with countless shrubs growing in the depressions and numerous beasts roaming the area.
Orion couldn't help but feel curious. On the surface, the Abyssal Chasm seemed far less hospitable than the Black Forest.
And yet, Gareth had chosen this place as her lair, making it the first target of the icefield invaders and their monsters.
"Could there be something here that Gareth values?"
As Orion surveyed the land below, his mind wandered with speculation.
He had been in the Abyssal Chasm for a full day and had yet to encounter any of Gareth's guards. The region was blanketed in snow, giving it an eerie sense of calm.
Suddenly, a gust of wind and snow swept through the sky. Orion didn't notice anything unusual at first.
Even the Thunderhawk, accustomed to battling storms and soaring through turbulent skies, paid it no mind.
Sssht!
It wasn't until a sharp sting on his cheek—where the wind had left a small cut—that Orion realized something was wrong.
In an instant, his Ghostbone Armor activated, covering his entire body and shielding the Thunderhawk's vital areas.
Whoosh… BOOM!
A deafening roar filled the air, a sound that was part howling wind and part the rumble of an enraged storm.
Orion and the Thunderhawk were suddenly surrounded by a screeching noise, like blades scraping against armor.
Bang!
The force of the wind was immense, creating a vacuum that exploded outward. Orion and the Thunderhawk were sent plummeting toward the ground.
Screech!
The Thunderhawk let out a sharp cry, flapping its wings furiously to stabilize itself. With a graceful arc, it regained altitude and continued flying.
"Orion, there's an enemy! That was a strange attack—it came from the wind itself!"
The Thunderhawk, Rayden, sounded shaken. The earlier explosion had left parts of its body—those not covered by Ghostbone Armor—injured. Feathers were ruffled, and faint traces of blood were visible.
Orion wasn't unscathed either. His ice armor had shattered in several places, and he gripped his trident tightly, scanning the skies around him.
The attack had clearly been aimed at him.
"Rayden, can you sense where the enemy is?"
"No, Orion. I can't sense anything. The wind elements in this area feel… off. They're no longer attuned to me."
"The wind elements?"
Orion frowned. The Thunderhawk was naturally attuned to both wind and lightning elements. If the wind elements were no longer responding to Rayden, it meant they were being controlled.
This strongly suggested that the enemy was either a wind mage or a wind elemental beast.
"Rayden, keep moving. Don't stay in one place. Gain altitude!"
Trusting Orion's judgment, Rayden flapped its wings vigorously, climbing higher and higher until they broke through the cloud layer.
Whoosh…
As they ascended, the wind and snow returned, swirling around them once more.
The snowflakes vanished as they entered the clouds, leaving only the invisible, relentless wind.
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But the disturbance in the clouds gave Orion a clue.
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He noticed a suspicious movement—a patch of cloud seemed to be chasing the Thunderhawk, trailing closely behind.
"Rayden, release lightning behind us!"
Crackle!
A bolt of lightning shot out, striking the suspicious cloud.
For a moment, the sky lit up with electric arcs, and the wind howled in response.
But just as quickly as it had appeared, the phenomenon vanished.
"Hehehe… How interesting. This is the first time I've encountered an enemy who uses clouds to track my position!"
A voice echoed from the nearby clouds.
A small tornado emerged, its winds swirling with diminished intensity.
From within the tornado, a translucent humanoid figure appeared, its gaze fixed on Orion and the Thunderhawk with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
"Orion, it's… it's an elemental! A wind elemental!"
Rayden's voice trembled as it sensed the overwhelming concentration of wind elements emanating from the figure.
Orion placed a reassuring hand on the Thunderhawk's head, signaling it to stay calm.
He turned his attention to the elemental and spoke.
"Who are you? Why did you attack me without provocation?"
Orion's first instinct was to skewer the elemental with his trident, but he held back. He needed information, and diplomacy—at least for now—seemed the wiser course.
"Hehehe… My name is Gustalon, as you can see, I'm a great wind elemental!"
The wind elemental's voice was both gleeful and unhinged, its exaggerated mannerisms giving it an air of unpredictability.
"Are you one of the icefield invaders?"
"Correct! But unfortunately for you, knowing that won't save your life!"
Orion's brow furrowed. Gustalon's arrogance was infuriating, as if killing Orion and Rayden would be a trivial task.
"You think you alone can invade the Abyssal Chasm and the Black Forest? Isn't that a bit overconfident?"
Orion's tone was probing, trying to bait Gustalon into revealing more.
But the wind elemental wasn't so easily fooled. It tilted its head, studying Orion with curiosity.
"From what I know, giants are a race that relies on brute strength and lacks intelligence. Why are you so clever?"
Orion's expression darkened. He couldn't tell if Gustalon was insulting him or paying him a backhanded compliment.
One thing was clear: this enemy was both intelligent and difficult to manipulate.
And for an opponent like that, there was only one solution—eliminate them.
Orion's face turned cold as he raised his hand and shouted.
"Eightfold Spear Barrage!"
The shout wasn't just for show—it was meant to draw Gustalon's attention.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Energy surged from Orion's body as eight jagged, spear-like constructs materialized around him. Resembling spider legs, the spears radiated a menacing aura as they locked onto the tornado.
"Go to hell!"
Whoosh!
The spears tore through the air, forming a coordinated formation as they closed in on the tornado, aiming to pierce the translucent figure within.
But just as the spears struck, Gustalon's form vanished.
The tornado disintegrated into a dozen smaller whirlwinds, scattering in all directions and slipping through the gaps in the Eightfold Spear Barrage.
"Impressive! Your technique has some ability to lock down elements and space. But alas, your control isn't strong enough!"
The scattered whirlwinds reassembled, and Gustalon's figure reappeared, though this time its gaze held a hint of caution.
Orion's expression grew grim.
His newly learned skill had made its debut—and it had failed to land a decisive blow.