YM778.TV Chapter 41: Respect
When Orion returned to his tent, Lysinthia had already prepared a hearty dinner for him.
Sitting on the animal skins, Orion didn’t say much and immediately began tearing into a 300-pound slab of beast meat.
After eating about a third of his fill, Orion finally spoke to Lysinthia.
"Prepare yourself tonight. Tomorrow morning, you’ll come hunting with me!"
"Really, Master?"
Orion nodded without saying anything further, continuing to devour the food laid out before him.
Soon, the night passed.
Thanks to the Bagbird stomach pouch, Orion no longer needed to carry his weapons everywhere. He could now travel light.
As for Lysinthia, Orion had found her a set of high-quality leather armor from the survivor’s platform.
She wore a long, slender sword at her waist—sharp, but too small and thin for a giant’s standards.
At the valley’s entrance, a large group of bloodline warriors had gathered, all fully armed.
When Orion arrived with Lysinthia, Rendall had already been waiting for a while.
"Orion, these four will accompany you on your hunts from now on. They’re also the bloodline warriors who will go with you to the succubus tribe."
Orion glanced at the four giants standing behind Elder Rendall. Each one was a towering bloodline warrior.
Just standing there, the four giants exuded a palpable, violent energy.
"Alright, Orion, I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m taking my team out now!"
Orion clasped arms with Rendall and sincerely said, "Elder, may the harvest be with you!"
Elder Rendall nodded, then let out a roar at the valley entrance, boosting the morale of his team before leading them out of the valley.
"Introduce yourselves," Orion said, turning his attention back to the four giants in front of him.
These four would be following him from now on, essentially becoming Orion’s subordinates in name.
"Elder, I’m Dace, specialized in dual-wielding great axes."
"Elder, I’m Otho, specialized in spears."
"Elder, I’m Beyn, specialized in two-handed greatswords."
"Elder, I’m Torba, specialized in two-handed war hammers."
Orion sighed. An entire squad of warriors, and all of them were melee fighters—no archers.
This lineup wasn’t exactly ideal.
Otho, despite specializing in spears, was a close-combat fighter and didn’t know how to throw spears.
Orion didn’t waste time with them. His heart glowed red, and the massive form of the Abyssal Dragon appeared just outside the valley.
Orion wrapped his arms around Lysinthia’s waist and leaped onto the Abyssal Dragon’s back.
"Beyn, you know the terrain. Lead the way!"
Though they had seen the Abyssal Dragon before, being this close to it made the four bloodline warriors feel its overwhelming presence even more intensely.
"Beyn, do you know of any areas with serpent beasts?" Orion asked from atop the Abyssal Dragon.
"Elder, there’s a Twilight Viper with dual dark and fire attributes in the northern region."
"The Twilight Viper is an elite-level beast, close to advancing to hero-level. It’s not easy to deal with. We usually avoid it when we go hunting."
Orion didn’t respond immediately. He turned to look at Lysinthia behind him.
Lysinthia nodded but said nothing.
"Take me to the Twilight Viper’s territory. We’re going to pay it a visit."
Orion turned back to Beyn, giving him the first target of their hunt.
"Elder Orion, are we heading north? The succubus tribe’s territory is to the east. "
Beyn, concerned about delaying the trip to the succubus tribe to fetch Orion’s bride, tried to remind him.
Orion didn’t respond right away. Instead, the Abyssal Dragon beneath him let out a sudden roar, causing Dace, Otho, Beyn, and Torba to stumble back in shock.
Only then did Orion’s cold voice cut through the air.
"When you’re hunting with me, you follow my orders."
"My word is law."
"I don’t want to hear any objections, nor do I want to see anyone disobeying my commands."
"If you can’t handle my leadership, you can ask the chieftain or the elder to reassign you when we return."
"Remember, in my squad, you follow my orders!"
Orion’s words were cold and merciless, giving them no room for argument.
Under Orion’s intimidating presence, the four bloodline warriors quickly reined in their tempers, not daring to show any signs of defiance.
Orion didn’t pay them any further attention. Until they became his trusted subordinates, there was no need to be overly friendly with them.
As a result, the atmosphere in the squad became somewhat tense, and no one spoke as they focused on the journey ahead.
With everyone focused on the road, time seemed to pass quickly.
By the early hours of the next day, they had finally reached the Twilight Viper’s territory.
"Lysinthia, can you sense its presence?"
At Orion’s question, Lysinthia closed her eyes, as if searching for something.
"Master, it’s in that direction!"
Orion nodded, jumped down from the Abyssal Dragon with Lysinthia in his arms, and pointed the dragon in the right direction.
Roar!
With a terrifying roar, the Abyssal Dragon charged forward like a massive war machine.
After about three minutes of running, they spotted the Twilight Viper, coiled atop a large boulder, its head raised high in preparation for battle.
The Twilight Viper’s three curved horns on its head were particularly striking, giving it an ancient and imposing appearance.
But by then, the Abyssal Dragon had already launched its attack.
The Abyssal Dragon didn’t care what abilities the Twilight Viper had. It opened its massive jaws and lunged forward to bite.
In the next moment, the Abyssal Dragon and the Twilight Viper were locked in a fierce struggle.
The Twilight Viper’s nearly 50-meter-long body wasn’t just for show. It coiled around the Abyssal Dragon, trying to constrict its movements.
If it had been any other beast, it might have grown weaker under the pressure.
But the Abyssal Dragon was different. Not only was its defense incredibly strong, but its entire body was also shrouded in a black abyssal aura.
This aura not only allowed the Abyssal Dragon to heal its wounds but also corroded its enemies.
In less than two minutes, the Abyssal Dragon had gained the upper hand.
Had it not been for Orion’s command, the Abyssal Dragon would likely have devoured the Twilight Viper by now.
"Master, the Twilight Viper is weakening. It’s afraid!"
"I can make my move now!"
At Lysinthia’s words, Orion nodded, allowing her to step forward and form a contract.
The contract between Lysinthia and the Twilight Viper wasn’t a slave or beast-taming contract, but it still established a hierarchy.
Clearly, Lysinthia was the one in control.
A mysterious green magic circle appeared between Lysinthia and the Twilight Viper, and a smile of joy spread across Lysinthia’s face.
"Master, it’s done!"
"Twilight is now my guardian beast!"
Orion nodded and signaled the Abyssal Dragon to release its grip.
With a final roar, the Abyssal Dragon let go of the Twilight Viper and returned to Orion’s side.
Orion patted the dragon’s massive head before turning to Lysinthia, who was now affectionately communicating with the Twilight Viper.
"Tell it to take us to its lair. We’ll rest here for the day."
Upon hearing Orion’s command, Lysinthia made a series of hissing sounds.
"Is that serpent language?" Orion asked, curious.
"Yes, Master. My race is born with the ability to speak it!"
As they spoke, Orion retracted the Abyssal Dragon.
As long as the Abyssal Dragon was present, it would make everyone except Orion feel uneasy.
So, Orion stored the Abyssal Dragon back in his heart, allowing everyone to relax.
Lysinthia climbed onto the Twilight Viper’s head and extended an invitation to Orion.
With a single leap, Orion landed behind Lysinthia, wrapping one arm around her waist and placing his other hand on her breasts.
The Twilight Viper flicked its tongue and slithered forward, carrying Lysinthia and Orion deeper into the forest.
As for Dace, Otho, Beyn, and Torba, they could only follow behind, weapons in hand, their faces filled with shock.
The four giants exchanged glances, their hearts filled with awe.
At the same time, their respect for Orion’s strength grew.
Especially after seeing that even Orion’s maid could command a peak elite-level Twilight Viper, their awe gradually turned into fervent admiration.
Orion, however, paid no attention to their thoughts.
His sister, Clymene, had assigned these four giants to him not to assist in battle but primarily to serve as guides on the journey to the succubus tribe.
Of course, considering that the succubi might offer some gifts, a small squad had been assigned to accompany Orion.
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The Twilight Viper carried Lysinthia and Orion through the forest, eventually stopping in front of a small hill.
At the base of the hill was a natural cave, spacious enough to serve as a perfect temporary camp.
"This place is safe. Set up camp at the entrance. We’ve been traveling all night, and everyone’s tired."
After speaking, the Twilight Viper carried Lysinthia and Orion into the cave.
Dace, Otho, Beyn, and Torba nodded to each other and began setting up camp at the cave entrance.