"Brother."

As soon as Maruun saw him land safely, he walked over with a broad smile on his thick, fishlike lips. He was not alone. Several Aqualeth stood with him, and two other groups had joined them, moving as one friendly party, their steps naturally falling into the same rhythm.

"Hey." Adyr returned the smile, then let his gaze drift to the other two groups to take their measure.

One group was Houndkin, 10 in number.

Their leader stood at the point, a little shorter than Adyr, dark-brown fur lying sleek, a sharp canine cast to his features, leather armor strapped tight over a lean, wiry frame that looked light but promised formidable defense.

The other group was Obsidren, living stone, each about 3 meters tall, with dark rock bodies like walking golems, their mass impossible to miss and their silhouettes heavy enough to bend attention the way gravity bends light.

"Kutun artsun."

The foremost Obsidren greeted him in a voice so deep it rumbled like a small avalanche, ancient and steady. He approached with heavy steps, each stone footfall flattening the grass, making one wonder how much weight that body carried and what mountains had taught him to walk so surely.

Adyr studied the stony face. This one stood taller than the rest, a shade darker, his armor set to the body as if riveted into the stone, solid and intimidating. The words tugged at buried memories.

Is this another language? Old Turkic?

The cadence felt old yet familiar. He was not fluent, but he knew the greeting.

"Sağ bol. Kutun dahi artsun." He answered as best he could. His accent was not perfect, yet it drew a flicker of surprise and a trace of pleasure in the Obsidren’s gem-blue eyes.

"The language of mountains and rock. I did not expect a Velari to know it." The Obsidren shifted to Latin, having sensed Adyr’s limits and choosing a tongue he could follow more easily.

"I picked up a few words during my travels." Adyr let out a quiet, friendly chuckle that acknowledged both the compliment and the concession.

Seeing the rapport, Maruun stepped in with a grin. "This is Adyr, my good friend. He hardly needs an introduction. By now, you should know who he is."

Assuming both races had already been briefed by their elders and leaders after witnessing Adyr’s performance in the arena, he did not linger on introductions and moved on.

He gestured to the towering Obsidren. "This is Rhadak, the strongest and most promising of the new generation of the Obsidren, and the leader of their team here. They follow the Nether Path, but don’t be misled. Their people are reserved and keep to themselves, and they are reliable." After that, he leaned to Adyr’s ear and added quietly, "Rhadak and I go back a long way. He’s trustworthy, the kind who watches your back, but not the type you invite to parties. Just saying."

Rhadak clearly heard him. His gem-blue eyes shifted to Maruun, yet he remained silent. He did not look like one to waste words.

Maruun turned to the Houndkin leader, ignoring the sharp gaze on him. "And this is Loudbark Hound, third son of the Houndkin chieftain, widely considered the most gifted of his generation. They also follow the Nether Path, and they are reliable and trustworthy as long as they judge you strong."

Loudbark’s brows drew together. He parted his jaw just enough to show his molars. "Maruun Aqua, what do you mean by ’as long as strong’? Do we look like we worship power? And what is wrong with building ties with the strong? It is the most logical way to form bonds. Every race and culture does the same."

"Good to meet you, Loudbark Hound. I agree. Your words are wise." Adyr’s even tone acknowledged the point and took the heat out of the moment. The Houndkin’s frown eased.

"I knew you would understand." Loudbark’s short tail wagged beneath the back of his leather trousers. "You will no doubt be a better friend than fish-scented Maruun."

While the groups were chatting and introducing themselves, more Practitioners kept coming through the hole.

A few more low- and mid-races came to Adyr’s side as well to greet him—purely to make his acquaintance—some leaving after a few words, some staying with them, apparently seeking to form an alliance and build deeper connections with him.

Also, the Lunari and the Gorathim had gathered their full teams in different corners, looking around and crafting a proper strategy before starting to move; no other race approached them. As being the strongest top 2 races, no low or mid race had the courage or reason to befriend them or ask for an alliance or even a temporary offer of mutual aid.

When Thalira Luna looked toward the side where Adyr stood and the crowd around him, her features shifted slightly as she spoke to the members beside her. "He is gathering team members?"

By the look of it now, counting the Practitioners on that side, Adyr looked like he had already gathered more than 50 members. Even though everyone was from different races, they all looked formidable in their own class.

With that, the balance of power suddenly shifted; Adyr, so far being only a 1-man team, was now standing at the top with the most members at his back.

"I don’t think Lady Thalira needs to worry much. Though numbers matter, they are all from different cultures and beliefs, so an army with that structure wouldn’t be as firm and strong as our team here." One of her close aides responded to her, acting as her adviser, the reassurance was quiet but confident.

Thalira nodded to them as her features relaxed. Just Adyr alone had the potential to be a threat on his own, and now, if he were allowed to have an army of Practitioners at his back, ready at his order and call, it would be more troublesome for them.

Meanwhile, on the Gorathim side, all the small titans with their dark green skin and bulging bellies were silent, as if they were all communicating within their minds.

At last, their leader, Brakhtar Gorat, spoke, breaking the illusion. "Be extra careful about that Lunari woman. She is unpredictable, not known what she would do next."

Remembering how many Practitioners they had lost simply because Thalira Luna wanted to get the attention of the crowd—attacking suddenly without any sign—made all Gorathim very angry and now cautious, determined not to let that scenario repeat itself.

One of the Gorathim near Brakhtar Gorat, his small, round eyes fixed on a different group, asked, "What about that newcomer, Adyr?"

In their eyes, Adyr was another unpredictable foe to be careful of.

Brakhtar Gorat gave it a few seconds of thought. "I don’t think he is one of the unreasonable ones. If we don’t cross our paths directly, I do not suspect he will be a direct threat to us."

His reasoning was on point, as during the battle royale, Adyr had only fought the Umbraens and killed Kharom because they were the ones who first provoked him.

Being Aether Followers and one of the wiser races, the Gorathim were good at reading intention, and Brakhtar saw the threat wasn’t immediate with that one.

***

A/N: Thanks for the golden tickets. Another bonus Chapter today is coming.