Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

As the thunderhawk swooped down, Orion leapt to the ground, landing beside the abyssal dragon.

"Well done!"

He reached out and patted the dragon's massive head as it nudged him affectionately. Then, drawing the curved blade from his waist, Orion began searching through the Phantom Spider's corpse.

After three minutes of rummaging, he found a dark source crystal embedded in the upper half of the spider's body.

That wasn't all. As he dug deeper, he uncovered a Survivor's Chest buried beneath the remains.

"This big guy is all yours now," Orion said, tucking the chest away and gesturing toward the spider's corpse, signaling the abyssal dragon to enjoy its spoils.

The dragon let out a low growl of satisfaction before tearing into the carcass with its massive jaws.

Moments later, after devouring the choicest parts of the Phantom Spider, the abyssal dragon roared triumphantly and charged off into the distance, seeking more prey.

Orion, meanwhile, climbed back onto the thunderhawk's back.

This time, he directed the thunderhawk toward the eastern region, where the underground fissure was also under siege by dark creatures.

Fortunately, Lorelia was stationed there. The countless cave spiders under her command held the front lines, minimizing the losses among the horde's bloodline warriors.

"Master, you've arrived!"

When Orion landed on the wall, Lorelia was in the midst of drawing her bow, her expression cold and fierce.

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Orion stood beside her, trident in hand, his face calm as he surveyed the swarm of dark creatures surging toward the wall.

"Can you hold them off?"

"Rest assured, Master. As long as no big ones show up here, and with the help of the other tribes, these dark creatures are nothing more than food for my children."

Orion nodded, his gaze fixed on the darkness beyond. He issued a direct order to Lorelia.

"Exterminate the dark creatures here as quickly as possible. Once this battle is over, lead your children through the hidden tunnels to assist the southern gate."

"It's time to show the entire horde the strength of the cave spiders. Prove to everyone that you're worth the resources I've invested in you."

Lorelia froze for a moment, her eyes gradually lighting up. She turned to Orion, her excitement barely contained, and suddenly lunged toward him.

"I knew it! Master truly cares for little Lorelia!"

Orion raised a hand, pressing it against her face to stop her from clinging to him.

"There's an Alpha-level Phantom Spider corpse outside the southern gate. Have your children collect it."

Lorelia's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she could barely contain her eagerness to retrieve the valuable remains.

"Don't worry, Master. Lorelia will not disappoint you!"

Orion nodded, then leapt onto the thunderhawk as it swooped down to pick him up.

During the brief time Orion had spent on the wall, the thunderhawk had already suppressed a wave of dark creatures in the area, easing the pressure on the cave spiders.

As Orion and the thunderhawk ascended into the sky, Lorelia let out a series of sharp, chittering sounds.

Moments later, even more cave spiders emerged from the underground fissure.

It was clear that Lorelia hadn't summoned all her forces earlier.

Orion's visit had reminded her that if she wanted access to Alpha-level resources, she needed to demonstrate her value to the horde by contributing to its defense.

This battle was her opportunity to prove herself.

Chitter! Chitter!

The cave spiders surged forward, not only holding the line but launching a counterattack against the dark creatures.

From above, Orion observed the battlefield. The fighting in Blackstone City had largely subsided, and he could no longer sense the presence of the Dark Armored Beetle.

There was only one explanation: the beetle had been slain by Onyx, Rendall, and Lilith working together.

Shifting his gaze outward, Orion spotted the abyssal dragon rampaging through the dark creatures outside the city.

"It's finally over," he muttered.

Although countless dark creatures still surrounded the city, Orion was confident that victory was within reach.

However, he knew better than to let his guard down in the final moments of a battle.

Riding the thunderhawk, Orion continued to patrol the battlefield, both to reassure his people and to watch for any potential threats from the sky.

Two hours later, the battle in the underground fissure region came to an end.

Lorelia led her cave spiders through the hidden tunnels, flanking the dark creatures and cutting off their reinforcements.

With this maneuver, the pressure on the southern gate gradually eased, and the fighting there eventually subsided.

---

"The dark creatures outside the city are still gathering. Once our warriors have rested, send them to support the cave spiders," Orion said, standing atop the city wall as he surveyed the battlefield.

Hearing this, Delilah, Lilith, Onyx, and Rendall gathered around him, finally understanding why the dark creatures' attacks had weakened.

Delilah, ever the strategist, quickly formulated a plan.

"Earthshaker, Desdemona, Vespera, Rockwell, Dirtclaw—take your squads and split into three groups. Advance from the left, center, and right to support the cave spiders."

The elders nodded and left to carry out her orders.

Moments later, a large force of bloodline warriors marched out of Blackstone City to assist the cave spiders.

"Are you two alright?" Orion asked, turning to Onyx and Rendall after receiving confirmation from the thunderhawk that the situation was stable.

"We're fine. Just a few minor injuries—nothing a few days of rest won't fix," Rendall replied.

"Nothing serious," Onyx added with a shake of his head.

In truth, the two of them, along with Lilith, had found the battle against the Dark Armored Beetle relatively manageable after the initial chaos.

Once they adapted to the beetle's combat rhythm, the fight became much easier.

"Orion, this is what the Dark Armored Beetle left behind," Rendall said, pulling a wooden box from his Bagbird's Pouches and handing it to Orion.

Without opening it, Orion already knew it contained an Alpha-level dark source crystal.

He accepted the box with a nod, offering no words of thanks.

There was no need. This was simply how things worked: the horde provided for its strongest warriors, and in return, they protected the horde. It was a straightforward exchange.

---

"I'm worried. I'll go check on them!"

Rendall's gaze lingered on the darkness beyond the battlefield, his concern evident. He was particularly anxious about his daughter, who had been the first to lead a charge in pursuit of glory.

"I'll go too!"

Prophet Onyx stepped forward. Many obsidian golems were among the warriors outside, and he wanted to ensure their safety.

Orion nodded. He had no reason to object. With two Alpha-level elders watching over the warriors, the losses would undoubtedly be minimized.

After Onyx and Rendall left, Orion turned to Lilith. Seeing that she was unharmed, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Dear chieftain, was the butterfly killed?"

When Orion and the thunderhawk had been lured away earlier, both Delilah and Lilith had been deeply worried about him. Now that Orion had returned and the butterfly was nowhere to be seen, Delilah's curiosity got the better of her.

"It's been burned to ashes," Orion replied without hesitation.

He briefly recounted the events of his pursuit of the Dark Butterfly, including the eerie appearance of the beautiful face.

Hearing this, both Lilith and Delilah frowned deeply.

As succubi, their sharp minds quickly pieced together potential implications from Orion's account.

"Chieftain, do you think the dark beast tides might be…"

Before Delilah could finish, Orion shook his head, cutting her off.

"Don't overthink it. For now, we're not strong enough to delve into such matters."

"Focus on protecting Blackstone City. When we've grown stronger, the answers will come to us naturally."

Orion had his own theories.

But some thoughts and speculations were better left unsaid. Sharing them now would only plunge the more fragile members of the horde into despair.

For most, ignorance was a blessing. Living quietly without knowing too much was the best path forward.

"That's enough for now. I'll be waiting in the chieftain's tent for everyone."

"Once the battle is over, bring the Spider Queen to the council meeting."

Delilah nodded, accepting the task.

Roar! Boom!

Just as Orion turned to descend from the wall, a deafening explosion erupted from the distant darkness, followed by an unfamiliar beast's roar that shook the battlefield.

Another Alpha-level dark creature had appeared!

Without hesitation, Orion summoned the thunderhawk.

"You two stay in the city. Guard Blackstone City and the Underground Fissure!"

Leaping from the wall, Orion landed on the thunderhawk's back as it swooped down to pick him up.

Moments later, he arrived at the battlefield.

The scene was chaotic. A massive crater marred the ground, as if a bomb had detonated.

At the edge of the crater lay Lorelia, severely injured and barely conscious.

In the center of the crater, Onyx and Rendall stood back-to-back, their weapons ready, watching for any sign of the enemy.

But the Alpha-level dark creature Orion was searching for was nowhere to be seen.

Orion jumped off its back and rushed to Lorelia's side.

"What happened?"

"Master, there was a massive creature hiding underground. It looked like a snake… or maybe a earthworm. If the two senior elders hadn't arrived in time, I would've been killed!"

"Can you move?"

"No… I've suffered internal injuries. My body feels terrible…"

Lorelia's voice was weak, her condition clearly dire.

"Summon your children to carry you. I'll escort you back to Blackstone City."

"Understood!"

Soon, a group of cave spiders scuttled over, crawling beneath Lorelia to lift her up and carry her toward the city.

"Onyx, Rendall, stay alert!"

"Don't worry, chieftain. It seems the creature has fled," Prophet Onyx replied, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

---

Orion focused his senses, remaining vigilant as he escorted Lorelia back to Blackstone City.

"Find a shaman immediately and have them treat Lorelia!"

Leaving those instructions behind, Orion handed the situation over to the succubus sisters and turned back toward the battlefield.

Onyx and Rendall were still out there, and Orion couldn't bear the thought of either of them being harmed.

"I was careless," Orion muttered to himself, regret weighing heavily on his mind.

Lorelia should never have been placed on the front lines.

As a queen-class broodmother, her role was to remain hidden, continuously supplying reinforcements to the battlefield. That was her true strength.

"Maybe I was too eager," Orion admitted, blaming himself for Lorelia's injuries.

If he hadn't pushed her to prove herself and earn merit, this might never have happened.

At the same time, Orion's regret was accompanied by a burning desire for vengeance against the dark creature that had attacked Lorelia.

However, when Orion returned to the battlefield, the creature was nowhere to be found.

"That thing was fast—it must've burrowed underground to escape," Rendall speculated.

"I think it fled when the thunderhawk arrived. The moment it heard the eagle's cry, I saw it retreat into the ground," Onyx added.

Orion nodded, leaning toward Onyx's explanation.

Burrowing creatures like this often had natural predators among avian species, making the thunderhawk a likely deterrent.

"Regardless, stay on high alert," Orion instructed.

Through his mental connection, he warned the abyssal dragon, urging it to stay close in case of another ambush.

The dragon, still in a frenzy from the battle, hadn't even noticed Lorelia's earlier plight.

Orion suspected that without his direct command, the abyssal dragon wouldn't have cared about anyone else's survival.

---

Perhaps it was the overwhelming presence of so many Alpha-level powerhouses, but the mysterious dark creature never reappeared.

By the time the battle ended and the remaining dark creatures were slain, the threat had vanished entirely.

"Earthshaker, Desdemona, Vespera, Rockwell, Dirtclaw—take half an hour to clean up the battlefield. Afterward, return to Blackstone City for the council meeting."

"And you," Orion added, addressing the surviving cave spiders, "drag the dark creatures' corpses back to the underground fissure."

Aside from the Spider Queen, only Orion and Lilith could command the cave spiders.

The spiders let out a series of chittering sounds before scuttling off to collect the corpses, significantly reducing the workload for the council elders.

Half an hour later, in the chieftain's tent.

The elders of the Stoneheart Horde gathered, their expressions varied.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Some bore the relief of survival, others the anticipation of rebuilding and growing stronger, while a few remained calm and composed, their emotions unreadable.