Chapter 910: The Enemy of My Enemy
Emerald Dream Realm, Dusk Continent.
A terrifying pulse of mighty energy flashed across the continent and vanished. Members of the Champions Alliance who sensed it looked up, but the sky was empty.
High above, in the void of space, Arthas appeared, his longsword held in a low, ready grip. He stared at the phantom that had materialized before him.
"The surge of power was brief," Arthas stated, his voice calm. "It seems you’re not here for a fight."
The phantom’s approach was a clear, if cautious, signal.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Pollard, the progenitor of the Blood-Eyed Black Serpent race," the phantom said, its form shimmering. Within the apparition, the vague outline of a serpent’s head coiled and writhed. "The serpents that once inhabited Dragonflame Island were my Tribe."
Arthas remained silent, waiting for the rest of it.
"The enemy of my enemy, I believe, is my friend," Pollard continued. "The dragons destroyed my vassals. They are my enemy, and they are your enemy. We can form an alliance. A common cause."
Arthas stared at the phantom for a long moment before speaking. "An alliance? And what value do you offer that would be worthy of our friendship?"
It wasn’t that Arthas looked down on the demigod before him, but a stranger who appeared out of nowhere was never acting out of the goodness of their heart. His question was a test, a probe for more information.
"Such arrogance," Pollard hissed softly. "Is a demigod not valuable enough on his own?"
The ancient being was clever, seeing through Arthas’s gambit and revealing nothing.
"One demigod is valuable," Arthas conceded. "But an alliance like this is meaningless. Your credibility is zero."
It was the simple truth. Who would trust the unprompted kindness of a stranger? This felt less like an offer and more like a trap.
"You require a show of good faith, is that it? You shall have it."
With that, the demigod’s phantom vanished.
Arthas stared into the empty void. After a long moment, certain that the visitor was truly gone, he turned and faded back into the emptiness himself.
Survivor’s Platform.
The strange surge of power had set the team’s private channel buzzing.
Leonidas: Deputy Commander, Arthas, what the hell was that?
Alexander: An unfamiliar presence. It was gone in a flash. A passing demigod from another continent?
Hulk: So I wasn’t the only one who felt it.
Kraken: Seriously, that scared the crap out of me. I thought the dragons were making a push!
Makareth: Definitely not the dragons. I’d have them crying for their mothers.
Isabella: Why couldn’t I feel anything? Are you all that fast?
In truth, only Alexander, Leonidas, and Hulk had truly perceived the demigod’s aura. The others had merely felt a ripple of power pass by; by the time they tried to focus on it, it was gone.
Makareth: Ahem. I didn’t get a clear lock on it either. Notice how I didn’t say what it was? Hahaha...
Just as the conversation was about to derail, their own demigod, Arthas, logged in.
Arthas: The visitor was an unknown demigod. He claims his vassals were the former inhabitants of Dragonflame Island. He came to propose an alliance.
Not two seconds after Arthas’s post, Leonidas replied.
Leonidas: The patron of those races from Dragonflame? For real? This isn’t some kind of setup, is it? A double agent?
It was a normal reaction. When you were at war, any stranger who suddenly appeared was treated as a potential enemy.
Alexander: I have a question. If the previous inhabitants of Dragonflame Island were backed by a demigod, why were they driven out and devoured by the dragons? A demigod would have instantly sensed an event like the annihilation of his people.
He sounded frustrated. With the dragons occupying the island, almost all life had been wiped out, leaving Alexander with no clues to investigate this mysterious demigod.
Hulk: I have a bad feeling about him.
Orion typed his thoughts. The demigod’s aura felt dark and sinister, similar to the foul presence of the Tusha. His instincts were screaming that this was bad news.
Arthas: Explain.
Hulk: Based on his aura, I suspect he might be one of the beings who invaded the Emerald Dream Realm alongside the evil demigod Tusha. He could be approaching us to gather intel, especially since we took half of the Dusk Continent from them. Furthermore, his involvement would only complicate the war and make the situation harder to control.
This was their inner circle. Orion laid out his thoughts exactly as they came to him.
Leonidas: Bro’s got a point. We need to be wary of the other powers in the Emerald Dream Realm.
Alexander: Hulk, are you certain this feeling came after you sensed the demigod’s aura?
Hulk: Positive. His presence felt very similar to Tusha’s.
Arthas: So it’s likely he’s here to stir the pot.
That was enough. The intuition of an arch lord was something they all trusted. Based on that alone, they could make a judgment.
Leonidas: Arthas, did you negotiate? What was the outcome?
Arthas: I refused. I told him his offer lacked sincerity. He said we would get our proof of his sincerity, and then he vanished.
Alexander: Even if his intentions are hostile, we could still potentially use him against the dragons. Whether he has a grudge against them or not, he walked right up to our door. We should treat him like a tool—a blade to be used and discarded.
Orion agreed with Alexander’s bold thinking. With the commander, deputy commander, and Arthas as their backstop, the Champions Alliance could afford to be aggressive.
Arthas: Alright. The Deputy Commander and I will discuss how to handle this. Given the impending war and the security of the Dusk Continent, the Deputy Commander will be constructing a large-scale defensive magical formation. Make sure your subordinates cooperate fully.
The discussion ended. Orion and Isabella logged out of the Survivor’s Platform at the same time and walked out onto the deck of the Sea-Devouring Warship.
"How strong is a demigod, exactly?" Isabella asked, coming to stand beside Orion. She followed his gaze out over the vast ocean, asking a question that had been on her mind for a long time.
"Think about how easy it is for you to step on an ant," Orion replied without looking at her. "That’s how easy it is for a demigod to kill you."
The difference between a lord and a demigod was the difference between the earth and the sky.
"I still can’t imagine it," Isabella said, shaking her head. She felt Orion’s description was too abstract. It was a scale of power she simply couldn’t comprehend.