Jorik reached out and picked up the nearest scroll, tucking it away.
Seeing his action, everyone else also stored their scrolls.
For the next few days, Whitecliff returned to its usual calm. The arena reopened for betting, but Orion and his companions no longer felt any interest in gambling.
Everyone was waiting for the tide to recede so they could return to their respective territory.
âŠ
Deep in the ocean, compared to the lands that had just suffered a massive tsunami, this place felt unusually serene.
Sunlight shone upon the waves, reflecting brilliant rays of light, as though a layer of golden silk covered the surrounding waters.
High above this golden surface floated a mysterious figure, who seemed to be admiring the boundless scenery, or perhaps just waiting for something.
Suddenly, the ocean churned, and from the deep water rose a dark shape. It roared upward, crashing through the surface and setting off towering waves.
"Damn those humans. In this latest invasion, Slark Merfolk Clan lost two of its lords."
"Youâd better have an explanation, or Iâll swallow you right here, right now."
It was Reverse Whale Glibb, the one who had previously fought the white dragonâs phantom.
"Two lords were lost?"
The mysterious man wore a mask, revealing no discernible emotion. Yet upon hearing Glibbâs enraged roar, he seemed startled.
"Lord Glibb, are you saying the Reverse Whale we sent to pursue that giant was killed?"
As he voiced his disbelief, the mysterious man directly brought up the details of the incident.
"The intel you provided was wrong. That giant is definitely more than a mere Legendary-level foe."
"Damn you humans! You set us up!"
Reverse Whale Glibb was truly furious. Opening its maw wide, it spat out a massive Water Spear to strike at the mysterious man.
"Lord Glibb, that giant never appeared in the central region. I was seeing him fight for the first time as well. It was merely an accident."
"This belongs to Slark Merfolk Clan, and now Iâm returning it."
Dodging the Water Spearâs attack, the mysterious man took out a small box from within his clothing. Inside lay a mysterious crystal ball, which he tossed into the sea.
Reverse Whale Glibb inhaled deeply, and the box was drawn into its mouth.
"This time we took heavy losses. That item alone wonât suffice. If you want us to launch a full offensive, humanity needs to retrieve a lost sacred relic for us."
"Otherwise, the plan ends here."
The mysterious man fell silent, as though weighing the feasibility of this demand.
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After a long pause, a single "Fine" echoed over the ocean.
Reverse Whale Glibb then sank back into the depths, vanishing without a trace.
âŠ
In a certain palace of Whitecliff, Kitsune Sylvanaâs entire body was flushed red. Under Orionâs relentless thrusts with his big cock, she had fallen into a near-unconscious state.
Although she kept trying not to make a sound, her ragged breathing betrayed her true feelings. When Orion finally stopped, it took Sylvana a long while to recover from that intensely overwhelming orgasm.
"Why do you always hold back your voice when we have sex? Are you not into it?"
Holding Sylvana close, Orion gently stroked her rear, speaking to her with genuine concern.
"I love having sex with you. I love being dominated by your big cock. My body is yours, and I enjoy every bit of it. I just donât like making noises while we do it. Besides, Iâve been thinking a lot about something lately that makes me feel afraidâŠ"
When the Sea Tribe dispatched the Slark Merfolk Clan to invade, Orion wasnât by Sylvanaâs side, and sheâs now lost her eyesight. Of course she must have been terribly frightened.
"Iâm sorry. I was careless. I never thought the Sea Tribe would choose to invade at this momentâŠ"
"Itâs all right, it was sudden. Itâs not your fault. Iâve done a reading. While we may suffer some losses this time, it will ultimately bring us immense gains."
Sylvana raised her head, revealing a face of exquisite beauty. Her expression had returned to a calm composure, yet it only made Orion feel more tenderness toward her.
Looking into Sylvanaâs eyes, which could no longer see, Orion lifted his right hand to reveal a silver necklace.
"This necklace suits you. Itâs my gift to you."
This silver necklace was a Hero-level item with only one function: if attacked, it would release an Alpha-level protective shield.
Orion had drawn it from a survivorâs treasure chest during his invasion in the south.
He personally placed the necklace around Sylvanaâs neck. It didnât take her long to figure out its purpose.
"Thank you."
She tilted her face up again. Though Sylvana couldnât see, Orion could read the question on her featuresâshe was asking if it looked good on her.
"You look beautiful. Especially with the pendant resting right between your breastsâthatâs practically a divine masterpiece. Perfect."
Orion couldnât help but kiss Sylvanaâs breasts.
Soon enough, Sylvana once again became the outlet for Orionâs lust.
But this time, Sylvana was no longer silentâshe was more enthusiastic in her responses. Not only did she moan, but she sometimes took the initiative to twist her hips, gripping Orionâs big cock with her vaginaâŠ
Though she couldnât see his cock, she could feel that her inner walls were completely filled. That sensation was truly uniqueâone of the most exquisite pleasures imaginable.
And so, the two of them made love again until late into the night.
When Sylvana fell asleep, Orion took out the survivorâs chest that had dropped from the Reverse Whale, a look of expectation on his face.
The chest opened, and a scroll fell into Orionâs hands.
[Instant Impact]
Type: Scroll (Rare)
Quality: Alpha-level
Skill Description: An extreme impact forged in the heat of collision. Instantly appear beside the enemy to launch an attack, accompanied by a powerful sonic blast.
This was the second rare skill Orion had obtained.
The first one was Triple Mirror Image, and given how powerful that skill was, Instant Impact was bound to be extraordinary too. Moreover, it compensated for Orionâs difficulty in quickly closing in on an enemy.
In the past, whenever Orion wanted to get up close, he relied on Swift Charge.
But ever since achieving Legendary-level, Swift Charge had shown its limits. Sometimes it was slower than simply using his lightning-element transcendent power.
With Instant Impact, Orion now had a stronger chance of seizing the opportunity for a one-shot kill.
Crushing the scroll to learn the skill, Orion glanced down at Sylvanaâwho was curled up against him like a little foxâbefore slowly closing his own eyes.
Early the next morning, outside the palace, the guards Dace, Otho, Beyn, and Torba were already waiting.
When Orion stepped out, the four Frost Wolves behind the guards whimpered softly at the sight of him.
Those pups from before, after being fed Pet Pills and dark source crystals, had grown into Hero-level Frost Wolves.
Orion came forward, taking out more Pet Pills and patting their heads.
"Excellent. After all these years of hard work, youâve reached the peak of Hero-level."
He addressed his words to Dace and the others. These four had followed him for a considerable time, often performing menial tasks and never truly helping with major matters.
"Have you all accumulated enough military merits?"
Dace, Otho, Beyn, and Torba nodded eagerly, eyes shining with hope.
"My lord, once we return, we plan to request Alpha-level resources from the horde."
"We want to break through to Alpha-level together."
Dace stepped forward and thumped his chest as he reported their plan.
Orion nodded, offering a slight smile of approval, then spoke to them after a momentâs thought.
"When we get back to Stoneheart City, Iâll have Delilah arrange double the Alpha-level resources for you."
"Serving as the guards of the Giant King without Alpha-level strength doesnât seem right."
Those last words brought a hint of embarrassment to the faces of Dace and the others.