High in the air, Isilra stared at Orion's back. She simply couldn't process how the polite, humble man from before had suddenly become so arrogant and domineering. The personality shift gave her whiplash.

"Go back, Isilra," the Tree of Life's voice rumbled from behind her. "The Wood Elves and I cannot be separated, no more than the Moonwell can be from Staghelm City. Give Gima my regards. Tell her an old friend misses her."

Isilra pulled her gaze away from Orion and looked at the Tree, opening her mouth to speak but finding no words.

"Remember why you came north, Isilra," the Tree's voice grew more distant. In the last few moments, it had established a special connection with the Moonwell in Staghelm City, getting a full briefing on the current state of the Silverwood Realm. It was from this exchange that the Tree learned just how powerful the Champions Alliance was, boasting several demigods among its ranks.

To a being of its wisdom, this wasn't a threat; it was a top-tier ally falling right into their laps. That was why it had submitted so decisively.

The reason she came north? Of course. It was to form an alliance with the Champions Alliance. The thought rose to the forefront of her mind. Thinking of the alliance, and then of her own attempt at poaching their asset, she suddenly felt a flush of embarrassment, unsure of what to do.

After a long moment of hesitation, Isilra descended to the ground and walked over to Orion, offering a slight, formal bow.

"Orion, I apologize for my previous offense." Her tone was sincere. She offered him a mysterious, glowing moonstone as a peace offering.

"The honor of a lord is not to be trifled with, Lady Isilra, but I accept your apology," Orion said, his persona switching back to that of the gracious guide. "I trust that you and I are still friends, and that Staghelm City and the Champions Alliance are still allies."

He then resumed the tour of the Forest of Nature as if nothing had happened.

***

Two days later, with Orion and Isilra as witnesses, the Wood Elves gathered at their former core gathering place to perform a ceremony of reverence at the foot of the Tree of Life. Amidst the sound of elven chanting, the Tree unsealed a hidden, self-contained space, revealing three simple Moonwells. Sheltered near them were three thousand Wood Elf children.

This was their last hope, the true reason the Tree of Life had sealed itself away—to preserve the future of its people. For Orion, the appearance of the Moonwells and three thousand new subjects was a welcome surprise. With this, he no longer had to worry about the Wood Elf race's population growth. Furthermore, with the return of their guardian and the wells, the concentration of elemental energies in the Forest of Nature would continue to rise.

Another three days passed. Once the Wood Elf race was fully stabilized, Orion and Isilra returned to the Black Tower. This time, Isilra received a definitive, positive response from the Deputy Commander and left with a detailed, written mutual-aid and alliance treaty.

After seeing her off, Orion returned to the sixth floor of the Black Tower and stood by a window, gazing out at the horizon.

"What, you got a thing for the Moon Elf?"

Edward and Arthas were both in deep slumber, but for some reason, Alexander had appeared beside him.

"She's stacked. Built to last," Orion chuckled, making no effort to hide his cruder thoughts as he joked with his friend.

"If you're serious, I can talk to the Deputy Commander. The three of us could go and formally ask for her hand. I imagine Staghelm City would agree," Alexander said, with a perfectly straight face.

"Nah, forget it. Can't force something like that," Orion said with a shake of his head and a self-deprecating smile, dismissing the idea. "She's a Moon Elf, the hope of Staghelm City, a potential demigod. They don't let women like that marry out."

Isilra was already at arch lord peak; there was no telling when she might make the leap to demigod. The odds of Orion marrying her into the Stoneheart Horde were practically zero.

"How about this, then?" Alexander's tone shifted, a strange, mischievous glint in his eye. "You could marry into her clan. Bring the Champions Alliance a powerful, intimate ally." He continued to tempt Orion. "You're short on territory and faith, right? You join Staghelm, marry the Moon Elf, and you'll gain a massive influx of followers."

He leaned in conspiratorially. "Trust me, if Leonidas were here, he'd already be over there, tail wagging." He was even using Leonidas as an example now. Thinking of the female dragon Leonidas had conquered, Orion started to feel a little cornered.

"Don't tell me you're a bigger coward than Leonidas."

"Ahem… bro, let's talk about something serious," Orion said, quickly changing the subject under the weight of Alexander's jab.

Alexander's demeanor shifted instantly, his voice becoming a flat, emotionless report. "New intel. There was a major disturbance on the sixth layer of the Abyss. A demigod-level virtue knight fought a calamity lord there. They shattered the planar barrier and broke off a small piece of the layer, creating a new dark cavern."

He paused. "There are rumors that someone spotted an Abyssal Springhead inside that cavern."

Orion had been searching for and trying to buy an Abyssal Springhead for a long time. The moment Alexander got the intel, he had awakened from his slumber to pass it on. Since Orion was scheduled for some downtime away from the front lines, Alexander figured this could be his chance. Even if the intel was false, a trip to the Abyss would be beneficial for him.

With Orion's current power, as long as he didn't venture too deep or pick fights with the ancient monsters nested there, he could easily carve out a foothold for himself and expand his territory. The Abyss was teeming with powerful monsters and races, a source of more abundant and purer faith.

"Bro, you think I can handle it?" Since Alexander was telling him this, he was clearly suggesting Orion go for it. But Orion, ever cautious, decided to ask for his direct opinion.

"With your current strength," Alexander replied, "where can't you go?"

That was all Orion needed to hear. "Thanks for the advice, bro."

Alexander nodded, and his figure faded from view. For a long while after, the Deathly Soul-Reaper remained at the window, lost in silent contemplation.

***

Titanion Realm, Stoneheart City.

A ripple of spatial energy marked the Deathly Soul-Reaper's return, pulling Orion's main body from its meditative state. He took the crystal box from his avatar's hand, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. The box was a gift from Arthas, containing something he had prepared for him.

Opening it, Orion saw a single card resting inside.

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