Chapter 72: Lord Gareth

After a long while, the council meeting ended, but Orion and the elders remained in the chieftain's tent."Sister, who is this Lord of the Four Domains, Gareth?"

"And what is this 'myriad races invasion'?"

As soon as the other elders left, Orion couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked the questions that had been bothering him.

Clymene made a calming gesture, signaling Orion to be patient. After drinking a bowl of water, she began to explain.

"This is my fault. I just recently advanced to Alpha-level and completely forgot about the things our father once told me."

Clymene sighed. Though caught off guard, there was more excitement than worry in her eyes.

"Orion, Rendall, what I'm about to tell you is something only the chieftain has been privy to in the past. You must not spread this information."

"The Black Forest is vast, but the world beyond it is even larger!"

"Do you know anything about the world outside?"

Orion and Elder Rendall both shook their heads. Orion had thought about the world beyond, but he had never had the chance to leave the Black Forest.

"The Desert Oasis, the Poison Dragon Swamp, and the Abyssal Chasm—these are the three regions that border our Black Forest."

"And all four of these regions are ruled by a single lord: Lord of the Four Domains, Gareth!"

When Clymene said this, her tone was filled with admiration.

A being above Alpha-level was something Clymene had never dared to imagine before.

Orion and Elder Rendall were equally unsettled. The names "Desert Oasis," "Poison Dragon Swamp," "Abyssal Chasm," and "Lord of the Four Domains, Gareth" were completely foreign to them, yet they stirred a strange excitement.

Orion quickly calmed down, as he was used to accepting such things. After all, the world was vast. Just look at the elves Aerin and Arthas, whom Orion had met on the Survivor's Platform. He suspected they weren't even from the same continent, or perhaps not even the same realm.

"Legendary level—that's what exists above Alpha!"

"Ah! For the past few hundred years, our Blackstone Tribe hasn't produced a single Alpha-level warrior. So when my father told me about these things, I didn't pay much attention. I almost forgot about it entirely."

Clymene sighed again.

Although she had advanced to Alpha-level, the messenger from Lord of the Four Domains, Gareth, had arrived too quickly, too soon.

Clymene hadn't had time to unify the Black Forest, let alone mobilize troops from the other tribes.

"Orion, Rendall, do you understand?"

"Without an Alpha-level presence, we wouldn't even qualify to be under Lord Gareth's rule. We wouldn't be eligible to participate in the myriad races invasion, nor would we have the right to compete for the endless resources in the south!"

Orion's brow furrowed. He had caught onto something important.

"Sister, are there endless resources in the south?"

Clymene nodded, her eyes filled with desire, longing, and excitement.

"Orion, the myriad races invasion is a campaign led by Lord Gareth to invade the southern lands and expand his territory."

"The south is said to be bathed in sunlight, with a favorable climate, and it's home to many more races and resources."

"If we can claim a piece of land in the south, our Blackstone Tribe will grow even stronger, and our potential for growth will increase."

Clymene grew more and more excited as she spoke. By this point, she was pacing back and forth in the tent.

"Orion, Elder Rendall, I must participate in this myriad races invasion. This is our Blackstone Giants' chance to rise!"

"So, Orion, Rendall, I'm leaving Moonshadow Valley in your hands!"

Orion and Elder Rendall exchanged glances and both nodded.

"Orion, Rendall, I'll be taking half of the tribe's bloodline warriors with me!"

"I trust that with you and the Abyssal Dragon here, you'll be able to unify the Black Forest as planned."

Clymene said this while looking directly at Orion. It was both a task and an expectation.

Hearing this, Orion's expression grew more serious.

"Don't worry, sister. When you return, you'll see a very different Black Forest!" Searᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Hahaha… good! Orion, I trust you more than I trust myself!"

Her words made Orion feel a little touched.

...

Three days later, at the mouth of the valley.

Orion and Elder Rendall stood atop the stone wall, watching Clymene depart.

"Rendall, do you also want to head south? I can see the desire in your eyes."

"Hahaha… Orion, I knew I couldn't hide it from you. Yes, I do want to go. Maybe I'll break through during this campaign!"

Orion said nothing. Giants were naturally warlike.

A war like this, one that involved invasion and the plundering of resources, was exactly the kind of conflict that battle-hungry giants craved. Read exclusive content at M-V-L

"Elder Rendall, I'll leave you half of the remaining bloodline warriors, and I'll also leave the hero-level beast, the Twilight Viper, to guard Moonshadow Valley. Does that sound good?"

"Orion, do you not trust me? With the Twilight Viper on our side, even if all the other tribes in the Black Forest band together to attack Moonshadow Valley, I'm confident I can hold this place."

"Then it's settled!"

Orion gazed at the distant horizon, his voice growing more serious, his eyes colder.

"By the way, until I return from the campaign, don't let any of the tribe members leave Moonshadow Valley, just in case."

"I understand."

When it came to serious matters, Elder Rendall's expression was equally grave.

Although the Blackstone Tribe now had two Alpha-level warriors, Clymene was taking half of the bloodline warriors with her to fight for the future in the south.

As things stood, Moonshadow Valley was severely understaffed for the task of conquering the other tribes and unifying the Black Forest.

"Notify the other elders. We'll have a meeting in my tent at noon."

"Understood!"

Half a day later, five remaining giant elders gathered in Orion's tent.

Including Orion and Elder Rendall, a total of seven giant elders attended this council meeting.

Clymene had been wise. She left behind Slate, Samson, Halvor, and Rumbold, four elders who were already used to working with Orion. She also left one of Elder Rendall's old subordinates.

Everyone was familiar with each other. After Orion invited them to sit, he gestured to Lilith, who was seated to his left, signaling her to speak.

Lilith, dressed in a tight leather outfit, looked sharp and capable.

"Elders, the chieftain has taken half of the bloodline warriors with her. According to our previous plan to conquer the north and south simultaneously, we can no longer proceed as planned."

"So, our best option now is to initiate an internal bloodline war among the giants and immediately subdue the Ironbone Giants, who live near our territory."

"Once the Ironbone Tribe submits, we'll have more bloodline warriors at our disposal. With Orion's influence, we can then begin to subdue the other races in the Black Forest one by one."

"After the Ironbone Giants submit, our second target will be the Succubi."

"I was born among the Succubi, and since our tribes are allied through marriage, I believe my sister, who is a clever Succubus, will choose to submit."

"If my sister refuses to submit, I will challenge her in the name of the Succubus royal family. I will defeat her and take control of the Succubi, making sure all of them submit to my husband."