Emerald Dream Realm, Kasenna Sea, Leonidas's Palace.

Golden sunlight, a sapphire sea, and waves of the purest white, endlessly crashing against the shore. The scenery was breathtaking, and Orion's mood was peaceful.

Leonidas's Palace was a strange and wondrous place. No matter how large the waves, they would break and fall away just before reaching the palace plaza, never touching the pristine marble. This was with the main defensive shields down—a truly extraordinary phenomenon.

As Orion stared at the palace railings, pondering the source of this magic, a whirlpool formed on the surface of the sea just beyond them. Kraken, in his massive octopus form, was perched atop the head of his captain avatar as it strode out of the vortex, walking on water.

With a final splash, the avatar landed in the palace plaza. The whirlpool behind it collapsed, spraying water into the air.

"Nothing to show for it," Kraken sighed, coming to a stop. His captain avatar slumped onto a nearby sun lounger and closed its eyes, while the massive octopus form leaped into a large glass tank on the round table next to Orion. "Those two dragon arch lords we're supposed to be facing are refusing to fight. They just send small packs of sea beasts to skirmish with us."

Orion passed a goblet to Kraken, who extended a tentacle, wrapped it around the cup, and took a deep gulp. "After the last big war, we collected a lot of dragon corpses. They must have figured something out."

"So you're saying my chances of collecting more dragon bodies are pretty slim right now, huh?"

Kraken didn't argue; he already knew it was true. His sigh was less about the missed opportunity and more about the sheer boredom of it all. For Survivors like them, an endless series of wars was infinitely preferable to this life of a beach bum.

"Damn those dragons," he grumbled. "They won't fight, and they won't make peace. They're just trying to wear us down by waiting. It's infuriating. It's not so bad for you, Orion. You have a few arch lord avatars you can use. But me? I've been stuck here ever since I ascended. There are so many things I want to do, and I can't do any of them." His voice was full of mock pity for himself.

"Be patient," Orion said calmly. "The situation is improving. Not long ago, our demigod ally from the Dawn Continent met with Arthas. They discussed the terms of a formal alliance. I believe our two continents, Dusk and Dawn, are about to be officially joined."

"Once that news gets out," he continued, "the dragons will have to react."

An alliance with the Dawn Continent wouldn't necessarily increase the Champions Alliance's direct power in this world, but the very existence of powerful allies was a form of deterrence. Faced with this new reality, the dragons would have two choices: either commit to another all-out war, or finally agree to let things cool down. Orion was betting on the latter. The dragons had come to the Emerald Dream Realm to get their slice of the pie, not to bleed their resources dry in a pointless war of attrition. They knew it, and he knew it. The Champions Alliance had felt the same way, before the dragons' initial invasion of the Dusk Continent had become a direct insult to their honor.

"Honestly, I'm kind of hoping for a fight," Kraken said with a slightly wicked grin. "It's the only way for me to keep growing. Heh heh heh." In the last war, the team had funneled resources to him, allowing him to breed countless Sea Race cannon fodder and accumulate a vast amount of faith energy. Since becoming an arch lord, he'd personally slain two of his draconic counterparts, reaping massive rewards.

"Speaking of war," Orion said, seeing his opening, "you should probably start preparing." He raised his goblet and clinked it against the glass tank.

"The Deputy Commander has spoken to you about the two traitors from our Alliance, hasn't he?"

"Yeah," Kraken said, taking another drink. "The clown and the Witch." The gears in his head started to turn. "Wait... you've found them?" His eyes lit up, and he turned his full, eager attention to Orion.

"During an incursion into another world, I stumbled upon the Witch's trail," Orion explained. "And I found the faction behind them. A major power called the Cult of Four. Their resources and strength are comparable to our own, if not greater."

He then recounted the events that had transpired in the Silverwood Realm in detail.

"While I haven't found any oceans there yet," he concluded, "a world with that many different races is bound to have them. Several of our brothers will be descending there soon. So, you should get ready."

Now that Kraken was an arch lord, he was qualified to join the invasion. As long as he didn't run into a demigod and kept a relatively low profile, he should be fine.

"Damn, Orion, if what you're saying is true, I really do need to prepare," Kraken said, his excitement growing. "This time, I definitely can't risk my massive octopus true body. It's a shame I still haven't found a suitable avatar to walk on land for me. I've been dreaming of claiming my own territory on dry land for ages." He spoke with genuine longing. In the days before he could pull his own weight, he had often wished he'd been born a land-based race.

"That's easy enough to solve," Orion said with a casual wave. "Once I find a sea, I'll set aside a piece of coastal territory for you. You'll have a domain that connects both land and water."

"Really? You'd do that?"

Orion nodded, a strange, sly smile playing on his lips.

"Hang on," Kraken said, his tentacles twitching. "I'm getting a weird vibe from that smile, old friend. It's a little... sinister. You're giving me territory, making all these grand promises... what's the catch? What do you want from me?"

Orion's smile widened. He raised his goblet, and after they both drank, he said slowly, savoring the moment, "Don't worry, the land territory is as good as yours. But before that... I'm going to need a little support from you."

"My stoneheart horde is about to launch an operation against an island offshore. I'll need you to provide me with a detachment of your Sea Race troops."

He had made a promise to Marina. She wanted to be the one to bring Aenari Island into the fold. As a demigod's avatar and a Lord in her own right, she wouldn't allow the horde to see her as merely ornamental, like Sylvana.

Of Orion's official consorts, only Sylvana lacked a fiefdom and any real power. Of course, her own strength wasn't exactly top-tier, and she hadn't accumulated the same level of merit as the others. As a result, in the merit-based society of the stoneheart horde, she had become something of a beautiful, powerless figurehead.

Marina would not allow herself to suffer the same fate. She intended to join the stoneheart horde with a mountain of accomplishments to her name, to become a Warden in her own right—a woman of power, influence, and status at Orion's side.

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