While the Unhallowed could nourish a world, neither Orion nor Leonidas entertained the thought of hunting the demigod-level ones. The power of such beings was terrifying, far beyond what a newly-ascended demigod like Leonidas or a demigod-equivalent like Orion could challenge. It would be a war of attrition, and they couldnāt afford the price of admission.
Besides, during a Graying, any demigod-level power lingering in the abyss would be forcibly conscripted by that layerās Abyssal Ruler to fight the invasion. It was tantamount to doing the Rulerās dirty work for free, with no reward and a high probability of annihilation. That was why demigods like Orion and Leonidas, whose primary power bases were not in the abyss, had long since withdrawn their main forces. The avatars they left behind were all capped at the peak of the archlord rank. It was partly to avoid the draft, and partly to make hunting the archlord-level Unhallowed a more manageable fight.
"You can, but youāll have to wait until youāre a demigod yourself to have a chance," Orion answered Makarethās question honestly.
"Darling, the Graying is here. When do the Unhallowed actually show up?" Delilah asked.
Orion shook his head. This was his first time experiencing it, too. "We wait. According to the old-timers, now that the Graying has begun, each territory will be assigned an Unhallowed of corresponding strength."
The entire layer of the abyss was the Abyssal Rulerās domain, but he couldnāt fight every single Unhallowed alone. The lesser ones were distributed among the various factions, a forced division of labor. Survive, and you earned the right to keep existing in the abyss. Fail, and you were erased. Any Unhallowed left wandering after the initial cull would be cleaned up by the Abyssal Ruler later.
Orion shot Makareth a pitying look. He could cover for him this time, but what about the next? If Makareth didnāt break through to archlord soon, he wouldnāt even have the power to protect himself.
"This territory you took belonged to that Demondrake," Orion said, the pieces clicking into place. "Thinking back, the reason he gave it up so easily must have been because he knew this was coming. We got played."
It all made sense nowāwhy the Demondrake had seemed so eager to ditch the place, why his demigod backer had been so agreeable.
"I guarantee it," Orion continued. "If you donāt survive this, that Demondrake will be back to reclaim his land the moment the Graying recedes. Even if you do survive, youāll be so weakened that heāll come back anyway. Your best bet is to ascend to archlord before this is over."
It was both a warning and a piece of advice. Though Makareth was a native of the abyss, his mentor was the Deputy Commander. There was no way he hadnāt been given resources outside this realm. If he couldnāt gather faith here, he would have to do it elsewhereāeither in the Valkorath Realm or one of the Godforsaken Lands. Makarethās situation was now a mirror of Orionās own past: a desperate scramble to carve out new territories and build a foundation.
"I knew it was too good to be true. Those sly old bastards," Makareth cursed, not bothering to censor himself in front of Orion and Delilah.
"By the sound of it, the Deputy Commander already has a plan for you, then?" Orion observed. For all his cursing, there wasnāt a trace of genuine worry in Makarethās voice.
"Before he went into slumber, the Deputy Commander gave me a Godforsaken Land," Makareth admitted. "I left a Demon avatar there. Looks like Iāll have to focus on developing that place first."
By "developing," he meant conquering. The Godforsaken Land the Deputy Commander had given him had been cleared of its archlords, but numerous Legendary-level powers still remained. To truly claim it, Makareth would have to fight for it himself. It was a test, a trial by fire.
"Damn, thatās a hell of a parting gift," Orion couldnāt help but remark. If he were to bring Tangere into the Champions Alliance, with his current resources, he could never afford to be so generous. It was pure luxury.
"Hulk, you and Leonidas have both leveled up. When are we getting the boys together for another big score?" Makareth asked, his eyes gleaming with hunger. "Like that war in the Emerald Dream Realm. Weāre all starving for some action over here."
His timing for joining the Alliance had been unlucky. Heād missed the lucrative fungal creature invasion in the Valkorath Realm, a war that had made Orion and Kraken rich. He and Isabella had only managed to secure territories the size of three cities each after the fact. The same went for the Emerald Dream Realm; heād contributed, but had only managed to carve out two citiesā worth of land from Isabellaās holdings. He hadnāt thought much of it then, but now, on the verge of ascending to archlord, he was feeling the thinness of his foundation acutely. If Orion hadnāt helped him conquer the Demondrakeās territory, heād be in a state only slightly better than Isabellaās.
And that was only because he had figured out the Lordās Stone on his own.
Leonidasās sharp-tongued jabs at Isabella for guarding her "little garden plot" were only harsh when compared to the explosive growth of Orion and Kraken. If Isabella fully consolidated her territory in the Emerald Dream Realm, it was more than enough to guarantee her ascension to archlord. She knew her own combat prowess couldnāt match the brutes in the Alliance. Her strategy was to play the long game, to build a solid, unshakable foundation. That was why Leonidasās taunts had never truly fazed her; she had her own plan.
"Just wait," Orion replied, not rejecting the request. "Iāve already spoken with Kraken and told him to start searching for coordinates to other worlds or Godforsaken Lands. Once we have a target and things in the Silverwood Realm are stable, weāll have plenty of time."
With Orion and Leonidas leading the charge, Makareth was guaranteed to profit. The Champions Alliance wasnāt lacking in demigods, archlords, or lords. What they lacked were viable worlds to invade.
"Sounds like a plan. Iāll keep an eye out, too," Makareth said.
Orion nodded, turning his gaze back to the gray, alien sky. Beside him, Delilahās smile was as radiant as a flower. She had listened to their entire exchange in silence, never interrupting, never asking her own questions. The fact that Orion hadnāt excluded her from the conversation filled her with a quiet joy. Her job was to listen, to learn, and to grow stronger. When she was powerful enough, she knew, the opportunities would come to her.