"Chieftain, the Sentinel Corps reports that Elder Rendall encountered a small beast horde while sweeping the southern region!"
"The hunting party engaged and wiped out the beast horde!"
Inside the chieftain's tent, Orion sat at the head seat, gazing at the lively scene outside.
He wasn't paying much attention to Delilah's report.
The arrival of a small beast horde was expected and nothing out of the ordinary.
With Rendall, Onyx, and Thundar—three Alpha-level powerhouses—leading the sweeps, as long as it wasn't a massive beast horde, they could handle it with ease.
At this moment, Orion finally felt that his efforts over the past two years were starting to pay off.
The elders he had personally trained were now capable of holding their own in various situations.
For instance, the Bottomless Abyss was guarded by Lorelia and Rockwell, ensuring no major issues.
If any monsters managed to escape, Orion and the succubus twin sisters stationed in Blackstone City could rush over to provide support at any time.
Outside Blackstone City, Rendall, Onyx, and Thundar led the hunting party, cannon fodder troops, and the knights in relentless sweeps against the incoming beast hordes. The situation was well under control.
If Orion had chosen to focus solely on his own strength back then, he would likely be overwhelmed by now.
"Has the beast pen Lilith requested been completed?"
Orion withdrew his gaze and looked at Delilah. She responded with a charming smile, her voice soft and sweet.
"We've cleared out several large caves in Moonshadow Valley specifically for her, and the beast pens have already been built."
"Thundar and the elders also captured some beasts alive, and they're currently being escorted over."
"Lilith is inspecting the pens in Moonshadow Valley. Darling, aren't you going to take a look?"
Orion nodded but said nothing.
Ever since Lilith learned the taming skill, all matters related to taming within the horde had been handed over to her.
Along with this, Elan's Skytalon Tribe had also been integrated into Lilith's subordinates.
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This was a good thing. The horde's faction structure was becoming more specialized, a sign that the horde was growing more organized.
"What about the Blood Mushrooms? When will they be ready to harvest?"
The horde had stockpiled a large amount of beast blood, pouring it daily onto the Blood Mushrooms, which had consumed significant resources.
From selecting and cultivating the right soil—mushroom soil, humus, and regular soil—to inoculating the Blood Mushrooms, the tribe had been waiting for a long time.
"That was Violet's responsibility before. I've only recently taken over, so I'm not entirely familiar with the cultivation process yet."
"However, according to Lady Jasmine and Ivy, the first batch of Blood Mushrooms should mature in no more than two months!"
Delilah furrowed her delicate brows. Ever since Violet disappeared, the task of cultivating magical plants had fallen to her.
But because she had been busy organizing the Sentinel Corps to scout the beast horde's movements, she hadn't had time to fully sort out the magical plant situation.
Orion nodded. He understood that Delilah had a lot on her plate. Not only was she responsible for intelligence work, but she also managed the logistics for nearly 100,000 people within the horde.
"This can wait. Once—"
Screech! Screech!
Before Orion could finish speaking, a sharp cry echoed from above Blackstone City. It was the call of a thunderhawk.
Others might not understand the cry, but Orion could.
"You're in charge of Blackstone City for now. I need to head out!"
Leaving those words behind, Orion quickly dashed out of the tent.
Once outside, he contacted the thunderhawk while climbing the city walls.
Moments later, the thunderhawk swooped down and carried Orion into the sky.
Delilah stepped out of the tent, watching the thunderhawk carry Orion westward. She couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
"The west… the desert… Could something have gone wrong there?"
After pondering for a while, she waved her hand, summoning a succubus.
"Tell Dirtclaw to send more scouts around Blackstone City, especially toward the west."
"Understood, Your Majesty!"
The succubus bloodline warrior responded and quickly headed out of the city.
In the sky, Orion narrowed his eyes, his expression cold and murderous.
"Rayden, how many of them are there?"
"Orion, I don't know exactly, but there are a lot!"
Delilah's guess was correct—there was indeed trouble in the west.
While scorpions were the dominant beasts in the desert, they were under Soraya's control and hadn't surged toward the Black Forest.
The enemies appearing in the west were a flock of broadskull ravens, a type of flying beast.
These broadskull ravens weren't strictly desert beasts but rather creatures that roamed the borderlands between the desert, Thunderwood Forest, and Mist Bay.
This region was a no-man's-land, so the invading ravens were unclaimed by any faction.
A few days ago, a flock of broadskull ravens hunting in the desert caught the scent of something enticing. Following the scent, they arrived at the Black Forest.
As Orion's mount, the thunderhawk Rayden considered the Black Forest its territory.
On days without conflict, Rayden would routinely patrol the forest.
Today, during its patrol, Rayden discovered a group of intruders—a flock of broadskull ravens so numerous that even it hesitated to engage.
It wasn't that the ravens were particularly powerful, but among them was an Alpha-level broadskull raven that had ambushed Rayden during its hunt.
"Master, they're heading this way. They want to eat you too!"
Rayden's words didn't surprise Orion. Ever since Violet disappeared, even the thunderhawk had entertained such thoughts.
The seed Orion carried emitted a scent that was irresistible to beasts, akin to their favorite delicacy.
A day later, Orion finally saw the flock of broadskull ravens Rayden had mentioned.
A dense, black mass loomed on the horizon, their sheer numbers creating an apocalyptic scene.
Caw… Caw… Caw…
As they drew closer, the ravens' hoarse cries sounded like a funeral dirge, unsettling to the core.
At a glance, Orion couldn't immediately estimate their numbers.
"Master, should we keep approaching?"
"Yes, keep going!"
As he spoke, Orion pulled several tridents from his back. His body was now covered in Ghostbone Armor and an icy layer of frost armor.
The Ghostbone Armor extended outward, shielding the thunderhawk's more vulnerable areas.
Swoosh!
The thunderhawk, already incredibly fast, accelerated further as Orion hurled a trident with all his might. The weapon tore through the air, slicing violently toward the flock.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The trident's immense power obliterated the first broadskull raven it struck.
After piercing through one, it continued its deadly trajectory, tearing through several more before embedding itself in another raven, which plummeted to the ground.
Screech!
Excited by the carnage, the thunderhawk let out a piercing cry and dove into the flock, releasing bolts of lightning that struck down the approaching ravens one after another.
Orion's hands never stopped moving. One after another, the cheap, disposable tridents in his arsenal were hurled like javelins into the densest clusters of broadskull ravens.
Wherever the tridents passed, broadskull ravens fell from the sky one after another.
Under the relentless assault of the thunderhawk and Orion, the broadskull ravens in their immediate vicinity finally showed signs of fear, scattering to avoid the thunderhawk.
However, this retreat was only temporary.
Once the broadskull ravens regrouped and surrounded the thunderhawk and Orion, countless of them dove in with their sharp beaks, launching a frenzied assault.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Lightning illuminated the sky, and tridents tore through the air. Broadskull ravens were obliterated by the lightning and fell lifeless under the piercing strikes of the tridents.
Despite the carnage, the broadskull ravens remained relentless, continuing their assault.
Gradually, some of the ravens managed to break through the lightning and trident barrage, closing in on the thunderhawk and Orion.
Splat!
Orion swung his trident, Flame of Will, slashing down the ravens that got too close.
Even though he was cutting them down in droves, a few broadskull ravens managed to land attacks on the thunderhawk.
Their sharp beaks pierced through its iron-like feathers, drawing thin streaks of blood.
Though the wounds weren't severe, they were painful enough to make the thunderhawk screech in distress.
There were too many of them!
More and more broadskull ravens broke through the lightning and gathered around, their attacks growing fiercer.
Boom!
Orion's trident, Flame of Will, triggered its Ignite effect, setting one of the ravens ablaze and turning it into a ball of fire.
The ignited raven panicked, flailing wildly in the air and inadvertently spreading the flames to other ravens nearby.
The sudden appearance of fire disrupted the ravens' assault, forcing them to scatter temporarily.
"Rayden, break through now!"
Screech!
With a piercing cry, the thunderhawk unleashed a bolt of lightning that tore through the raven swarm. Spreading its wings wide, it darted through the path cleared by the lightning.
At that moment, a shadow suddenly dove from above, its long, sharp beak aiming straight for the thunderhawk's heart.
"You're courting death!"
Orion roared, grabbing the last three tridents from his back and hurling them in quick succession.
The tridents tore through the air one after another. The shadow, seeing the incoming attack, spread its massive black wings and glided to change direction.
The immediate danger was averted. The thunderhawk let out a sigh of relief and unleashed another bolt of lightning before flapping its wings furiously to escape the encirclement.
"That scared the hell out of me!"
"Orion, I almost got ambushed again!"
Orion turned to look at the swarm of broadskull ravens still chasing after them, his expression dark and grim.
Amid the black mass of ravens, the Alpha-level broadskull raven with the blood-red crest had vanished, leaving no trace.
"These ravens are cunning. That ambush was downright sinister!"
If Orion hadn't been there, the thunderhawk would have been gravely injured—or worse.
"Rayden, pick up the pace. We need to return to the horde and warn the others!"
Leaving the thunderhawk to face such a massive swarm alone was no longer an option.
After giving the order, Orion fell silent.
These broadskull ravens were flying beasts, which meant they would reach Blackstone City far faster than any other beasts.
A thought crossed Orion's mind: What if they could capture the broadskull ravens?
Especially the Alpha-level raven that had tried to ambush the thunderhawk. If the Stoneheart Horde could tame this flock, it would be a game-changer for their development.
---
Half a day later, Orion arrived ten kilometers outside Blackstone City and relayed the news of the incoming broadskull ravens to Onyx, Thundar, and Rendall, who were leading sweeps outside the city.
After instructing the senior elders to return and prepare for battle, Orion flew back to Blackstone City and sounded the alarm.
"Return to the city and prepare for battle. Things are looking grim!" Enjoy new stories from empire
Upon receiving the message, Onyx began to think deeply. If the main forces returned to the city now, the situation could indeed become precarious.
"Prophet, is there something wrong with the chieftain's orders?"
Rendall, on the other hand, wasn't one for overthinking. If Orion said to return, he would return without a second thought.
"Arch Elder, if we retreat to the city, there will be no one left to sweep the surrounding areas. The beasts outside the city will only grow in number, eventually forming a massive horde."
Onyx voiced his concerns. He feared that if they abandoned the sweeps, the beasts outside would gather in overwhelming numbers, eventually forming a super horde.
Even with the city walls as a defense, Blackstone City's situation wouldn't improve much.
Even if the horde managed to repel the beast tide, they would still suffer significant losses.
"Well, we'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, let's focus on taking out those damned flying beasts heading our way!"
Hearing Rendall's response, Onyx's eyes sharpened.
"Arch Elder is right. We must first drive off those flying beasts!"
"Otherwise, if the skies and the ground are both swarming with beasts, that would be the real nightmare!"
Rendall nodded, then turned to shout orders at the bloodline warriors.
"Stay sharp! Deliver the latest batch of supplies back to the horde, then gather at the camp near the city walls and await the chieftain's orders!"
---
Back in Blackstone City, the alarm blared as soon as Orion returned.
With the alarm sounding, all the elders stationed in Blackstone City—except for Spider Queen Lorelia, who was guarding the underground fissure—gathered at the chieftain's tent.
Delilah, Lilith, and Rockwell, all Alpha-level powerhouses, looked at Orion with puzzled expressions.
"The enemies this time are a flock of flying beasts, led by a cunning Alpha-level broadskull raven."
"Your scouts are all on the ground. By the time they spot them, it'll already be too late!"
"At the speed those broadskull ravens are flying, they'll reach us in no more than half a day!"
"Delilah, bring out all the stockpiled throwing weapons and crossbows. We're in for some trouble this time!"
Orion's tone was steady but urgent as he relayed everything he had learned.
Hearing that a flock of flying beasts was approaching, everyone's expressions darkened.
It wasn't that they feared the strength of the flying beasts, but rather the difficulty of dealing with a large group of them.
The problem wasn't just their offensive capabilities. As long as the flying beasts remained in the air, the bloodline warriors defending the walls wouldn't be able to fully focus on the ground-based beast tide.
"Prepare yourselves. Before the beast tide fully forms and surrounds the city, kill as many of those broadskull ravens as you can!"
Orion's voice was cold and filled with killing intent. He knew they had to deal with or drive off the broadskull ravens before the beast tide fully converged.