"The Tower Defense World isn't as complicated as you think," Arthas's message came through. "The Will of Light avatar on the Kindling Platform? It's basically an all-purpose shop. Once you farm enough Kindling Points, you can exchange them for any supplies you want."

"Food, gear, skills, scrolls, weapons… it's a manifestation of the world's rules. It can generate an equivalent for any artifact you can possibly imagine."

This was the intel Orion had been looking for. The strategy guide Arthas had figured out on his own was the greatest help a newcomer like him could ask for.

"Your job is to kill, upgrade yourself and your gear, and then kill some more," Arthas continued. "Once your battle record is high enough, you can even extract some of the things you acquire there through the Rebirth Card and bring them into our world."

Orion felt a jolt run through his entire being.

"Remember Bone White, Bone Red, Bone Green, and Bone Blue?" Arthas asked. "They all died in battle. I brought them back with a resurrection artifact. And that artifact? I cashed it out from the Tower Defense World."

As if to prove he was telling the truth, Arthas revealed a few more details. It was only then that Orion truly understood the profound value of the card he held. It wasn't just a one-time channel to get Faith; it was a pathway to enriching his entire power base, a way to shore up all his weaknesses. Of course, to achieve any of that, his projection in the Tower Defense World would have to fight for it, to grind for it.

"Bro… thank you," Orion sent, his gratitude genuine. The gift of the Rebirth Card was so precious he had no idea how he could possibly repay Arthas.

"You want to thank me? Get to demigod rank as fast as you can. I'll have a job for you then."

"Done."

With the matter settled, Arthas's presence faded from the connection. Orion withdrew his consciousness from the Survivor's Platform.

Upon his throne, Orion opened his eyes and took out the Rebirth Card. Its hazy surface had now cleared, displaying information like a status screen.

Name: Orion Stoneheart

Reincarnation Point: Kindling Platform #3318

Extractable Faith: 0

Extractable Items: 0

This was the data recorded on the card. He turned it over in his hands, seeing it now not as a mere item, but as the key to a limitless vault.

"I remember getting 370 Faith points in the Tower Defense World, but the extractable amount here is zero," he mused. "That must mean there's a minimum threshold for withdrawals."

"What an incredible artifact." A slow smile spread across his face. "No… for me… this is an infinite treasure."

***

The Abyss, an uncharted tributary.

The Deathly Soul-Reaper found itself in a mysterious, unknown cavern. Strangely, the cavern's ceiling was not solid rock, but a swirling, mysterious void of shifting darkness. At the far end of the cavern lay a deep, pitch-black pool of water that seemed bottomless.

At that moment, the pool, which resembled a black hole, began to ripple. Bubbles rose steadily from its depths. The concentric circles spreading across the water's surface spooked the abyssal creatures that nested nearby, sending them skittering away.

Suddenly, the bubbling intensified, the water churning violently.

SPLASH!

A massive geyser erupted from the center of the pool as the abyssal dragon, Xalathar, burst forth, its powerful legs finding purchase on the rocky shore with a thunderous crash. The dragon was ecstatic. This was the Abyss. This was its home turf.

ROAR!

Basking in the thick Abyssal energy, Xalathar threw its head back and roared, a deep, metallic cry that struck fear into every creature in the vicinity. In a minor tributary like this, a Legendary-level being was the apex predator.

"Alright, that's enough. Let's move," Orion said, patting Xalathar's back, signaling that it was time to press on. They were still only in a tributary, not even the first true layer of the Abyss.

"Master," Xalathar rumbled, its voice conveying a deep satisfaction, "the Abyss is our true home. The territory in the Titanion Realm has no Abyssal energy at all. Why do you insist on operating there?"

To Xalathar, the environment of the Titanion Realm was vastly inferior to the Abyss, and even to the mind-space within Orion where it usually resided.

"Because before now, we were too weak," Orion explained. "And the weak do not survive in the Abyss."

He hadn't understood it when he was at a lower level. But as his power grew, he began to see why so many abyssal races had chosen to leave their home plane. The environment was brutally inhospitable to anyone not at the top of the food chain. For any intelligent race with ambition, migrating out of the Abyss was the smart move. Of course, he was certain the influence of their ancestors and gods had played a part in those decisions as well.

"Master, I wish to release my Mist Domain. It will allow me to gather more Abyssal energy."

"Do it."

Orion had no objection. In fact, bringing the abyssal dragon on this journey was a calculated move. Beyond it being a native of the Abyss, Orion intended to use this trip to boost Xalathar's power. While its potential might not match Lorelia's, it was more than enough to reach the rank of arch lord. After Lorelia, Xalathar was the next candidate he planned to cultivate to that level.

The Stoneheart Horde had risen too quickly; the potential of its current generation had already been pushed to the limit. In the short term, only Lorelia and Xalathar had a realistic hope of breaking through to the next tier. And Xalathar's path to power lay here, in the Abyss.

As for Lorelia, he had other plans.

With another guttural roar, Xalathar unleashed its Mist Domain. The dragon became like a phantom, diving into its own swirling fog, which expanded as it moved, constantly absorbing the ambient Abyssal energy. This condensed energy would not only fuel Xalathar's training but also allow it to recover rapidly from injury or exhaustion.

Perhaps this is the true purpose of the Mist Domain, Orion thought with a sense of wonder. He had always seen it as a stealth tool, a handy asset in large-scale battles. But now, here in the Abyss, he understood that some abilities of abyssal creatures could only reveal their true potential in their native environment.

And what about my own giant tribe?

The thought sparked a chain of possibilities.

If my people lived here for an extended time, would they awaken stronger bloodline abilities? And the succubus race… they are also from the Abyss. Would they change as well?

The more he considered it, the more he desired to carve out his own territory here in the Abyss. Perhaps then, the Stoneheart Horde's true foundation could be elevated to a whole new level.

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