Orion shifted his attention back to the Village Chief, engrossed in conversation with Queen Selene, Stronghold Leader Seth, Zogar, Patriarch Rylan, and some of the farm's Caretakers.
As if feeling his stare, the Village Chief and a few others quickly noticed Orion and beckoned him over. Orion nodded, but as he was about to step forward, a blinding flash of light erupted before his eyes.
…..........
Third Border City
Garden
Beneath the Divine Lake Essence
A bright light flashed, revealing Orion as he emerged beneath the essence of the Divine Lake with three of his children still in his grasp.
"Uwwwaaaahhhh!!" They instantly burst into tears, crying loudly as they surveyed their surroundings.
Orion knew it would be strange if they hadn't cried after the commotion and sudden teleportation, so he did his best to calm them down. Glancing at Aegis of the Arctic before refocusing on them, he said, "Shhh!! It's okay, daddy is here."
"Don't worry, I'll handle it," Aegis of the Arctic Deity assured before safely putting the children to sleep. In the blink of an eye, they vanished from Orion's arms. "I sent them back to the safer comfort of your wives and placed your family in a much quieter environment to relieve their stress. They are all safe where they are currently," Aegis of the Arctic Deity added, noticing Orion's questioning gaze.
Orion nodded. He understood that there was no reason for Aegis of the Arctic to lie to him or do anything bad to his children, so he quickly believed him.
"So what happened? Is everything Seth said true? Have you seen who our attackers are?" Orion asked hurriedly, shooting his questions at Aegis of the Arctic Deity one by one.
"I think it is best you summon goddess Aerialia so I can explain this at the same time, and also because it concerns your safety and that of her divine apostles," Aegis of the Arctic Deity responded as he stood in the air.
Orion nodded and instantly summoned the large Crimson greatsword, and Aerialia materialized alongside it.
"What's going on?" Aerialia asked, shifting her attention from Aegis of the Arctic Deity to Orion as she noticed the tension in the air.
However, as she thought about why Orion had summoned her again withinAegisof the Arctic Deity's presence, she couldn't help but feel a chill in her body. She thought that despite their deal the other day, Orion had gone behind to reassess the agreement with Aegis of the Arctic Deity.
"Aegis of the Arctic Deity will explain everything; he's the only one who has a proper understanding of what's going on at the moment," Orion responded, shaking his head.
Aerialia furrowed her brows and refocused onAegisof the Arctic Deity. She narrowed her eyes, "I certainly hope this is not based on our previous meeting," she asked, frowning.
"Though this matter is entirely different, it is not unrelated to our previous meeting, which is why I summoned you here also," Aegis of the Arctic Deity responded calmly.
Hearing Aegis of the Arctic Deity's response, Aerialia's frown deepened. "What is this matter about then? I'm all ears, so you can go ahead and explain," she responded, glancing at Orion, who also had a frown on his face, proving that he hadn't reneged on the promises he had made beforehand and was unaware of what was happening.
Aegis of the Arctic Deity explained everything that had transpired since yesterday when he had destroyed the mysterious entity, the unknown man-made god barely alive and embedded within the sundial in the Village Chief's compound.
He elaborated on why the mysterious entity might have emerged from that direction before delving into themysteriousfigures that had appeared out of nowhere to attack his divine barrier. He detailed how they were directly related to the Vylkr vines and discussed the content of their conversation, which had further enranged them far more than he had anticipated.
After Aegis of the Arctic Deity finished explaining, Orion and Aerialia stared at him with wide eyes and trembling bodies. They couldn't remain calm after hearing the revelation. They would have almost doubted it if the person who had told them all this wasn't Aegis of the Arctic Deity.
For Orion, the sundial was where he had first begun his journey as a warrior by consuming its fruits from the otherworldly tree that had emerged from it. So, the revelation that there was the heart of an unknown man-made god within it was enough to send his mind reeling back with immense shock.
Wait a minute, Orion thought. According to Aegis of the Arctic Deity's explanation, after he had consumed the fruit, he sensed a surge of Primordial energy flowing into his body. So, doesn't that mean––
A thought flashed through Orion's mind, causing him to widen his eyes in shock.
Ever since he first absorbed the Vylkr energy, he had wondered about the strange energy that always suppressed it when it became too fierce or overwhelming. However, he never found an answer to this question and had set it aside. But after hearing Aegis of the Arctic's revelation and learning about the Omnithrailains as the direct ancestors of the human race, Orion connected the dots and arrived at a firm realization.
The mysterious energy within him, suppressing the Vylkr energy, was the Primordial energy.
Not only that, but the Vylkr viel phenomenon somehow attracted strange entities and beings related to the Vylkr vines. The latter were powerful enough to make Aegis of the Arctic Deity unsure of his ability to hold them back.
A fierce tremble rippled through Orion's body, and fear and worry gripped his heart. Feeling unable to stand properly, Orion sat on the rocky ground to collect his thoughts and calm his body properly.
Meanwhile, Aerialia's discovery that another man-made god was barely alive within the sundial in the Village Chief's compound, along with Aegis of the Arctic Deity'sDeity's discovery of a mysterious tree that granted primordial energy and the revelation of the mysterious entity and beings, caused her expression to harden as her mind spun with these new revelations.
