First, Achilles affirmed one thing without question- the Ancient Ones would not be friends or allies. They actively desired either conquest or chains.
The most powerful among them sought to rule and enslave for the sake of one thing- Planar Destiny.
Something unseen. Untraceable. Yet supposedly the very force that once made the Ancient Races so incomparably powerful, allowing them to ascend and evolve seamlessly through time.
Was this… what his father had felt when he first arrived here? The one mystery he couldn't understand? Or was it something entirely different?
Achilles couldn't say. But he now had more knowledge of the hidden forces of this Plane, and with knowledge, he could navigate better while preparing.
So.
He ignored the phoenix's weakening cries.
He continued devouring its existence, even as it still clung to life- its massive body trembling, its essence unbearably dense. Within him, the expansion of his [Land] as a Dharma King reached an unfathomable level.
