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However, all these matters seemed too distant for the ordinary orcs of the Orc Alliance. Whether it was the defeated enemies or the ancient evil gods from tens of thousands of years ago, none could compare to the imminent event that would capture their full attention.

That event was—His Majesty Samanda had finally decided to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor.

Similarly, the Orc Alliance would, after four centuries, reclaim its title as the "Great Orcish Empire."

Samanda Riptooth Rhine would forever be recorded in orcish history under the name Emperor Riptooth I.

Alliances, kingdoms, empires, and dynasties—these were the four fundamental forms of statehood on the Starsea Continent.

An alliance signified the unification of independent yet interdependent factions, where the status of major power groups was largely equal. The selection of a leader depended entirely on their prestige and influence, with no hereditary succession, and sometimes not even a lifelong tenure.

The kingdom system was a step further, with hierarchies established among factions of varying sizes. The royal family could now pass down power through generations, though the king's authority was not absolute—especially when it came to the nobility beneath him, who did not hold the power of life and death over others. In fact, it was not uncommon for a king to be forced to abdicate by a coalition of his vassals.

An empire, on the other hand, was a state system that firmly established imperial authority. The ruler, titled emperor, stood at the absolute pinnacle of power, with the final say in all matters of life and death. Though various nobles existed beneath him, often with independent territories, they could never dominate the state or challenge the emperor's authority. On the current continent, the Yellow Dragon Empire and the Tiele Empire were such entities.

As for the most centralized system, the dynasty, it essentially eliminated noble privileges. Beneath the emperor, all subjects were servants—whether dukes or marshals, a single decree from the ruler could wipe out entire families. However, establishing such a system faced the fiercest resistance. In the tens of thousands of years of recorded history, dynasties were exceedingly rare, and none lasted more than a century.

Now, what Orc King Samanda sought to achieve was transforming the Orcish state system from an alliance into an empire.

Such a restructuring inevitably involved complex issues of power and interests. If attempted by other alliances on the continent—such as the Southern Sixteen-Nation Alliance or the Merchant Alliance—such a radical change would face immense difficulties. But within the Orc Alliance, the upheaval was far less severe. Throughout the ten-thousand-year history of orcish dominance on the continent, the imperial system had always been the norm, with even dynastic systems established twice before. Precedents existed for how different races should be allocated and governed, and the coexistence of the five warrior races had originally been designed to support the rule of the Orc Empire. Had it not been for the near-total annihilation of the elite forces of the five races by the Twelve Sages' joint forbidden spell, leaving not a single armor plate behind, the extinction of the lion tribe's royal Imperial Fang lineage, and the subsequent decline of the old nobility to the point where they could barely suppress the other hundred tribes, the alliance system would never have been adopted. Now, after four centuries of recuperation and rebuilding, the five orc warrior races had regained much of their former glory. This shift in power naturally led to a shift in authority, making the restructuring of the alliance's internal system a natural progression. Even if Samanda had not initiated it, another orc would have.

The only question was: Who would claim the highest position after the change?

Samanda, hailed as the most powerful Orc King in history, was undoubtedly the ideal candidate at this moment.

Though in terms of lineage and family background, Samanda's Riptooth family was merely an upstart among the lion tribe, incomparable to the millennia-old noble houses, his personal titles—"Strongest Orc in History," "Liberator of the Golden Plains," and "Destroyer of the Holy Light Temple"—forced all strata of the Orc Alliance to acknowledge his qualifications.

The true influencers of this process, however, were the Shamans of the War God Temple and the leaders of the five warrior races.

Samanda's confidence in proposing his ascension at this moment stemmed from his certainty of securing their support—or at least ensuring they would not obstruct him.

"...In light of Riptooth's Majesty's immense contributions to the orc race over the years, as well as his glorious achievements, all Great Shamans of the War God Temple unanimously vote to support his ascension as the emperor of the new Orc Empire, anticipating further victories..."

This proclamation from the War God Temple not long ago essentially legitimized Samanda's claim to the throne. Those orcs privy to the inside story were unsurprised. After all, while "the Orc King personally participating in experiments to perfect the Warcraft Orc Warriors project" could not be publicly announced, nearly all high-ranking orcs had heard of it. They knew the price Samanda had paid was enough to rally the entire Shaman community to his side.

As for the five warrior races, Samanda had already become the lion tribe's decision-maker years ago, with even Catherine's *Warfang* family submitting to him, leaving no opposition there. The yak, though numerous, were the least cohesive of the races, with internal tribes far more interested in territory than in the race's overall authority. Secured through generous concessions from Samanda, they naturally chose to support the Orc King's move. The eagle and bear tribes, having spent years in open rivalries and covert struggles over the shared governance of the Corridor of the War God, continued their strife even after expanding northward into broader territories. Under Samanda's overt and covert manipulations, their conflicts showed no signs of abating, making neither willing to offend him and gain a new enemy. Thus, they adopted neutrality toward the imperial proclamation.

The final—and most troublesome—issue was the wolf tribe.

Originally, under the leadership of the Golden Wolf Tribe, the wolf tribe had no intention of opposing Samanda, as he had long declared that his empire would follow the old Orc Empire's system, ensuring the five warrior races' status would not only remain unharmed but even elevated. This had largely dispelled the concerns of the wolf tribe's leaders. The real problem lay with the stance of Chen Xuanfeng, the young prodigy of the Snow Wolf tribe. Everyone knew this Lord of Fontainebleau had cultivated dual combat energy to the pinnacle of the Sword Emperor realm, and within a decade or even a few years, he might ascend to Sword Saint—a true Sword Saint, mightier than even the current Orc King. Yet he had married Catherine, Samanda's archenemy, inheriting part of the previous Orc King's legacy, making compromise with Samanda impossible.