Orion had turned the Doomguard corpses over to Eparus for processing.

Ecstatic, Eparus offered a deep bow of reverence before retreating to begin his work.

As the Scourge Wardens began their grim task, Orion finally turned his attention to the two commanders who had been waiting patiently: Ashreign of the Wraith Knight army and Bidalun of the First Army.

"Report," Orion said, his voice flat.

Ashreign stepped forward, inclining his head. "My lord," he began, his tone even, "the Wraith Knight army lost twelve hundred riders in the operation against the Doomguard."

He continued, "I have secured their soulfires. Once we establish a stable position with sufficient Abyssal energy, they can be reconstituted."

Orion knew how the Wraith Knights worked. The destruction of their physical forms meant little. As long as their soulfire endured, they would eventually regenerate. The time it took, however, was another matter entirely. The losses were acceptable, if not ideal.

"And the First Army?" Orion's gaze shifted past Ashreign to settle on Bidalun. He already had a rough idea of the numbers; he'd been watching the battle unfold. It was inevitable that the First, a motley collection of warriors, would suffer the most.

Still, the fledgling army hadn't entirely disappointed him.

"My lord," Bidalun's expression was grim. "The First Army suffered thirty-two thousand, one hundred and seventy-two casualties. Thirty percent were from the Bone-gnawer beast-race I brought with me. The rest were all followers from the other clans."

For an army of their size to suffer such losses against just over five hundred Doomguard… Bidalun clearly felt the sting of the inadequate performance.

"The First Army is new," Orion stated, his voice cutting through the commander's unspoken shame. "Considering that, these losses are within expectations. You managed to coordinate with the Wraith Knights and hold the line. Your men have heart, but they lack discipline and cohesion."

Orion acknowledged Bidalun's competence while pointing out the army's obvious flaws. In truth, the only troops Bidalun had been able to command effectively were the three hundred thousand veterans he had brought with him. The other hundred thousand followers, with their wildly varying skill levels, would have to be integrated properly over time.

"As you've now seen, we will face enemies like the Doomguard again," Orion continued, his eyes sweeping over both commanders. "My expectation is simple. I want you to use the Doomguard as a benchmark. In the future, I expect both your armies to be capable of facing them alone."

Ashreign took the directive in stride. The Doomguard were strong, but once his Wraith Knights leveled up, the power gap would narrow.

Bidalun, on the other hand, felt a muscle in his jaw twitch. He thought his lord might be overestimating him just a little.

"We will be holding this position on the fourth layer for at least three months," Orion announced. "During that time, I will continue the recruitment drive here. Bidalun, I want you to send out riders. Spread the news of our victory over the Doomguard. I expect you to bring the First Army up to its full million-man roster within these three months."

With the Scourge Wardens needing at least that long to regenerate, it was the perfect opportunity. With Bidalun's people spreading the tale of their victory, Orion was confident he could draw in many more followers.

"Ashreign," Orion turned back to the other commander. "Is three months enough time for your knights to reform?"

Ashreign shook his head, hesitating for a moment.

"If you have something to say, say it," Orion prompted, seeing the conflict in the knight's posture.

"My lord, for the Wraith Knights to reform, we require two things: souls and corpses." Ashreign's voice was low. "The souls of the Doomguard were of high quality, and we have already collected them. But we lack… vessels."

Orion nodded, falling into a thoughtful silence.

Ashreign's point was twofold. First, three months was not nearly enough time to bring his forces back to full strength. But more importantly, he was telling Orion that to expand the Wraith Knights, a significant investment of resources was required. It wasn't just about high-quality corpses and souls; they also needed a permanent, stable base saturated with Abyssal energy.

He was feeling the losses, Orion realized. Ashreign was bleeding troops for him, and Orion hadn't provided any of the resources needed to replenish them. He was asking them to make bricks without straw.

If Ashreign was thinking this, Bidalun surely was too.

In this last battle, every piece of loot, every scrap of spoils, had gone to Eparus for the Scourge Wardens. The Wraith Knights and the First Army, who had done the bulk of the fighting and dying, had gotten nothing for their trouble. It was a raw deal, and no one, especially not the opportunistic denizens of the Abyss, would put up with a thankless job for long.

Orion understood instantly. If he didn't establish a system of rewards, and fast, the cohesion of his forces would erode until there was nothing left. They might follow him for a while, hoping he'd conquer a territory and provide them with a stable place to live and train, lured by the promise of the Abyss's richer upper layers. But their loyalty was conditional. Without tangible rewards, they would eventually just bail.

Orion let out a slow breath. With a wave of his hand, the five hundred-plus storage pouches Eparus had presented to him appeared, hovering in the air before him.

"Bidalun. Ashreign. I have a task for you."

Both commanders immediately dropped to one knee, their posture radiating a new level of respect. By single-handedly slaying an archlord-level Doomguard, Orion had proven his power and his right to lead. He was a lord worth following.

"Your command, my lord!" they said in unison.

Orion gestured for them to rise. "Have your men inventory the spoils in these bags," he ordered, his voice ringing with authority. "Everything below Legendary level is to be distributed among the armies. Everything."

He paused, letting the weight of his next words sink in. "Those who show merit will be recognized. Those who excel will be promoted. Understand this: in my service, deeds do not go unrewarded. This is the foundation of our new order."

He was setting a precedent.

"Bidalun," Orion focused on the commander of the First. "Based on the systems you're familiar with from the third layer, I want you to draft a provisional rewards structure. Create a system for tracking combat merits. I will personally review it and finalize the details. Then, we will distribute these spoils according to the merit each soldier has earned."

They were in the Abyss. It was only fitting he reward them in the currency they understood best.

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