In normal times, this would have been a cause for celebration. Every abyssal lord dreamed of a day without a ruler looming over them.

But for this to happen on the eve of an Unhallowed invasion was nothing short of a catastrophe.

Without a powerhouse of at least the fourth demigod stage to lead the defense, Orion was certain that most factions were already drawing up evacuation plans. He himself had considered a strategic withdrawal to the seventh layer, or even back to the Abyss, Fifth Layer, to weather the storm. He had kept these thoughts to himself, of course, to maintain morale.

The return of a Ruler to the sixth layer was a good thing. It meant order.

But it was also a blaring siren, signaling that the arrival of the Unhallowed was no longer a distant threat, but an imminent reality.

"When Bidalun gets back, tell him he's on lockdown," Orion instructed. "I have a feeling the Unhallowed could arrive at any moment. If his army is caught out in the open during that… they won't stand a chance."

Wraith Knight Ashreign nodded, committing the order to memory. In truth, though the Deathly Soul-Reaper was physically present in the abyss, Orion ran the operation like a hands-off CEO, delegating the management of the Foundry Citadel to Eparus, Ashreign, and the others.

His orders given, the Deathly Soul-Reaper fell silent.

Survivor's Platform: Champions Alliance Public Channel

Leonidas's return had breathed life back into the channel.

Leonidas: @Squiddy, you can start pushing south along the coastline. From now on, the southern shallows belong to your big bro.

Having absorbed the old dragon's territory, Leonidas's ravenous appetite for resources had finally been sated. After giving Orion and the coalition their cut, he was gorging himself on the spoils.

Kraken: Big boss is the man!

More importantly, Leonidas had claimed every last dragon beast and subordinate race from the Sapphire Dragon's former domain. His personal forces had instantly become the core strength of the entire coalition. Some of them could even be used to reinforce Kraken's Sea Race. This was, after all, the accumulated wealth of a demigod dragon.

Hulk: Bro, I've got a bad feeling about this whole thing. We're all demigods. We know what territory means to one of us. That old dragon just handing everything over… if it were you, bro, you'd never do it.

It wasn't that Orion doubted Leonidas's charm. It was just a simple matter of empathy. If he were in Fafalarri's position, he would never have made the same choice. The so-called "Xanajar Paradise" and the "Domain of a Myriad Dragons" set off every alarm bell in his head.

Leonidas: Relax, bro. I know what you're thinking. Doesn't matter if Fafalarri is full of shit or not. The meat I've already got in my mouth is real. That's all that counts.

Fair enough. If Leonidas was comfortable with the risk, Orion wouldn't press it. Leonidas had already said he planned to hash it out with the Deputy Commander and Arthas once they woke up. Without his bros to back him up, he wasn't reckless enough to go exploring Xanajar Paradise on his own. He wasn't an idiot. There had to be more to the story than Fafalarri just being pressured by the circumstances.

Hulk: Something's happening on my end, in the sixth layer. The old Abyssal Ruler is gone. A new one just took the throne moments ago. The timing of it… it's giving me a sense of urgency.

Hulk: Bro, in your abyssal territory… have you ever been through an Unhallowed invasion?

This was the real reason Orion had logged on, braving Leonidas's victory lap.

The question hung in the air, and for a moment, Leonidas went silent.

Leonidas: Motherfucker. I just hit demigod and I almost forgot about that shit.

Leonidas: Bro, your gut's right. The Unhallowed are coming. The entire abyss is about to become a forbidden zone. We're talking a shitstorm so bad that even the self-righteous paladin-wannabes who love a good crusade won't dare set foot in here.

He sounded genuinely pissed off. His long slumber had messed with his sense of time, and the deeply ingrained, cyclical threats of the abyss hadn't immediately come to mind.

Leonidas: @Little M! You better get in here right now! If you don't answer, we're leaving you to rot!

Alerted by Orion, Leonidas's first instinct wasn't to strategize, but to summon the Demon, Makareth. In the Champions Alliance, Makareth was the only true native of the abyss. And his power level—not yet archlord—made him a prime target to be reaped by the Unhallowed.

It wasn't a possibility; it was a certainty. Even being an Awakened Survivor wouldn't save him. Leonidas knew from brutal experience. Long ago, when he, Alexander, and Arthas had first ventured into the abyss, even their Legendary-level avatars—along with those of the clown and the Witch—had been harvested.

Makareth: I'm already preparing, bros. I've never been through one myself, but the old-timers in my court have been drilling it into my head every single day.

Makareth: Are the Unhallowed really that bad?

He sounded frustrated. He was on the cusp of consolidating his body of faith. The territory Orion had helped him conquer was almost secure, which would have been enough to push him over the edge to archlord. But now, the impending invasion had slowed his faith generation to a crawl. It was infuriating.

Leonidas: Let me put it this way. If me and Orion don't send avatars to your turf, you're dead. Period.

Isabella: That terrifying? You're not exaggerating, are you?

Before Makareth could reply, Isabella, who had been lurking, voiced her skepticism. It wasn't a real challenge, but the picture Leonidas was painting was just that horrifying.

Leonidas: Exaggerating? That's because you've never seen it!

His authority questioned, Leonidas's tone became sharp, his usual roguish demeanor giving way to a biting cruelty.

Leonidas: Your precious Alexander? His strongest avatar, at the peak of the Legendary tier, got reaped by the Unhallowed.

Leonidas: Isabella, you need to get your ass in gear. When Alexander was at your level, he was already invading the fucking abyss. Look at you, just sitting there, tending to your little garden plot in the Emerald Dream Realm. What have you even grown?

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