Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

"Let us raise our goblets to celebrate overcoming this trial!"

At Orion's toast, the elders within the chieftain's tent lifted their cups, their faces alight with excitement.

Orion drained the skull goblet in his hand, then swept his gaze across the gathered elders of the Stoneheart Horde. Your next read awaits at empire

These pillars of the horde had all emerged from blood and fire. In terms of combat prowess and execution, Orion was more than satisfied with them.

However, when it came to strategic thinking, most of them fell short.

Races like the giants, obsidian golems, and buffalofolk often didn't begin to think critically until they were well into old age. This limitation meant that many of his people had a low ceiling for growth—a concern that had been weighing on Orion's mind.

As the Stoneheart Horde grew stronger, Orion knew that many of the current council members would eventually be replaced.

But until that day came, Orion hoped his encouragement would inspire more of his people to improve themselves.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Retracting his gaze, Orion reached into his cloak and pulled out two wooden boxes.

The sight of the boxes immediately ignited a fire in the hearts of everyone present.

"Lorelia has done an outstanding job defending the bottomless abyss. Not only did she hold the underground fissure against the dark creatures' assault, but she also flanked the enemy, cutting off their reinforcements and easing the pressure on Blackstone City, reducing casualties significantly."

"Furthermore, Lorelia has reached the peak of hero level and has entered the sequence for receiving Alpha-level resources. This is her rightful reward."

With those words, Orion pushed one of the wooden boxes toward Lorelia.

"Thank you, Master! I will protect Blackstone City with all my strength!"

Lorelia accepted the box with both hands, taking the opportunity to make a public declaration of loyalty, earning the admiration of many in the room.

The abilities of the cave spiders had been on full display during the recent battle.

Countless small spiders had fearlessly charged the front lines, significantly reducing the losses among the bloodline warriors and the cannon fodder troops.

And since these spiders could be rapidly hatched, their numbers were, in a sense, limitless.

Anyone with even a shred of foresight could see how vital the cave spiders were to the Stoneheart Horde.

"Once the meeting is over, focus on recovering. Don't delay the hatching of more spiders."

"As you wish, Master!"

Lorelia's smile was simple yet brimming with excitement. The constant twitching of her spider legs betrayed her joy.

Orion nodded and turned his attention to the second wooden box, which he slid toward Thundar.

"Thundar, since the day I unified the giant tribe, you've earned countless merits."

"Many of you here have witnessed or participated in Elder Thundar's achievements firsthand, so I won't list them all."

"Thundar has also reached the peak of hero level and has entered the sequence for receiving Alpha-level resources. Naturally, he deserves his share."

As Orion spoke, he looked at Thundar, whose hands trembled slightly as he accepted the box. It was clear that the elder was deeply moved.

However, as the Elder of Combat and one of the four senior elders, Thundar knew he couldn't lose his composure in front of everyone.

Suppressing his excitement, Thundar stood, holding the box tightly, and looked at Orion.

"Thundar is willing to shed his last drop of blood for the horde, to serve with all his heart, and to fight for the chieftain across all lands!"

Thundar's voice was filled with emotion.

He had known that Lorelia would be prioritized for Alpha-level resources, as Orion had discussed this with him beforehand.

Still, Thundar had secretly hoped the horde would acquire more than one dark source crystal.

To his surprise, that hope had become reality, and he had been allocated a share of the resources.

Orion reached out to steady Thundar, signaling for him to sit down.

Once again, Orion scanned the room, noting the envy and longing etched on the faces of the other elders.

He spoke in a calm, measured tone.

"So far, all those who have entered the sequence for Alpha-level resources have received their share."

"Elders, I look forward to seeing who among you will be next to join this sequence."

This was a blatant temptation.

Hearing Orion's words, the elders couldn't help but feel that entering the sequence was a guaranteed path to receiving Alpha-level resources.

Hiss… Hiss…

The sound of sharp intakes of breath filled the tent, accompanied by the audible gulping of saliva.

After giving the elders a moment to collect themselves, Orion spoke again, his tone steady.

"Thanks to everyone's efforts, we successfully repelled the dark creatures' invasion."

"This time, we've also gained a great harvest, collecting countless dark source crystals."

"In no more than three days, Elder of Stewardship Delilah will have the data fully compiled. At that time, the dark source crystals will be distributed."

Orion paused, his words hanging in the air.

Once again, the sound of heavy breathing filled the tent.

The horde had slain an enormous number of dark creatures during the battle, and the resulting dark source crystals would undoubtedly be plentiful.

Many elders, especially those who had already reached hero level, saw this as their chance to enter the sequence for Alpha-level resources.

"Elders, the dark beast tides have not yet receded. The battle could resume at any moment. My only request is that you remain vigilant and steadfast in your duties."

"These are the days for us to grow stronger. Don't let this opportunity slip away!"

At a time like this, no amount of motivational speech could compare to the promise of dark source crystals.

Orion kept his words brief, using the moment of celebration to remind everyone to stay alert.

Following this, Delilah took charge of the meeting, working with Thundar and the eight council elders to meticulously tally the battle's losses and gains.

When the council meeting finally ended and the elders dispersed, the Stoneheart Horde felt noticeably more stable.

Inside the chieftain's tent, only the Alpha-level powerhouses remained.

Orion sat at the head of the table, surrounded by Onyx, Rendall, Delilah, and Lilith.

After exchanging glances with the others, Orion began to speak.

He recounted in detail his encounter with the Dark Butterfly and the eerie beautiful face, including its ominous warning that it would return.

By the time Orion finished, the atmosphere in the tent had grown heavy.

Everyone's expressions were grim, their thoughts weighed down by the implications of what they had just heard.

"Chieftain, are you suggesting that the dark creatures attacking Blackstone City were orchestrated by a powerful entity?"

"Does this mean that future attacks by large-scale dark creatures could be organized, disciplined, and strategic?"

Prophet Onyx's questions sent a chill through the room.

If even one of these possibilities were true, it was enough to make anyone's blood run cold.

Orion remained silent for a long time before finally voicing his thoughts.

"Have you ever wondered?"

"Why do the dark beast tides descend upon us every year?"

"How do these dark creatures even come into existence?"

"And where is their lair?"

Orion's string of questions caused Rendall, Onyx, Delilah, and Lilith to furrow their brows.

These weren't new questions. They had crossed their minds before, and their ancestors had pondered them as well.

Some of the most visionary chieftains in history had even attempted to migrate their tribes, hoping to find a haven untouched by the dark beast tides.

But they had all failed.

In this world, there was no place that could escape the tides.

"I don't know where the dark beast tides come from, and I can't figure it out," Orion admitted.

"But one thing is clear: the stronger we grow, the more dark creatures come to attack us, and the more powerful they become."

"Doesn't that feel… deliberate? As if we're being targeted?"

"Or perhaps, all the living races of this world are being targeted."

Despite the grim implications, Orion didn't view the dark beast tides with despair.

In fact, he saw them as an opportunity—a chance to grow stronger and to elevate both himself and the horde.

For the past two years, Orion had been acquiring Alpha-level dark source crystals, yet he hadn't consumed a single one.

He knew that if he used them, his stats would quickly reach their peak.

But instead, Orion had chosen to allocate all the crystals to nurturing talent within the horde.

He understood that relying on himself alone wouldn't allow the horde to rise, nor would it help him achieve his ultimate goals.

If he could build a powerful faction to support him, Orion believed he could ascend to even greater heights.

Given the circumstances that he currently had no way to find his parents and no method to resurrect his sister, Orion had resolved to create his own powerful faction and use it to uncover the truths of the world.

His thoughts wandered briefly before he snapped back to the present. Swallowing hard, he continued.

"Why the dark beast tides descend doesn't matter."

"Where the dark creatures' lair is doesn't matter either—not for now."

"What matters is that we focus on the here and now: killing more dark creatures, acquiring more Alpha-level resources, and making ourselves and the horde stronger."

These words were directed at the senior elders.

Orion's tone grew heavier as he spoke.

"This dark creature assault has taught us three important lessons."

"First, most Alpha-level dark creatures are intelligent. In future battles, we must remain vigilant and avoid being outsmarted."

"Second, large-scale dark creature assaults are often orchestrated by a powerful entity behind the scenes."

"For example, the will projection controlling the Dark Butterfly repeatedly lured away the thunderhawk, the greatest threat to their forces, to make the siege easier."

This realization had struck Orion after the Alpha-level earthworm fled.

The Dark Butterfly's primary goal hadn't been to lure him away—it had been to remove the thunderhawk from the battlefield.

The thunderhawk wasn't just a counter to the Dark Butterfly; it was also a major threat to most ground-based dark creatures.

"Finally, have you noticed? This time, the dark creatures didn't just come from the ground—they came from the sky, the earth, and the underground."

"The sky is manageable, thanks to the thunderhawk patrolling our territory."

"But what about the underground? How do we defend against creatures like the Dark Armored Beetle?"

"How do we detect such threats in advance?"

The atmosphere in the chieftain's tent grew increasingly heavy.

"I've already instructed Lorelia to have her spiders fill in the tunnels created by the Dark Armored Beetle."

"But the question remains: how do we defend against future underground attacks?"

Orion laid the problem bare. He didn't have a solution, and his frustration was evident in his tone.

Rendall stroked his beard so vigorously it was nearly raw, but no ideas came to him.

Delilah and Lilith wore matching expressions of concern, unable to think of a viable solution.

Eventually, all eyes turned to Prophet Onyx.

Onyx stood with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the ground as he pondered.

"Chieftain, I do have an idea, but it can't be implemented immediately," he said after a long pause, his tone uncertain.

"Prophet, speak your mind," Orion said, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Onyx took a moment to organize his thoughts before speaking.

"Chieftain, none of the races within our horde are equipped to defend against underground dark creatures."

"Even though we have the Twilight Viper, it isn't a true subterranean creature. It needs to dig tunnels in advance to move underground."

"Moreover, the Twilight Viper's strength is still lacking."

Orion nodded. He had already considered the Twilight Viper as a potential solution and had even thought about helping it ascend to Alpha-level.

But Alpha-level resources were far too scarce.

Onyx's observations were accurate, and Orion's expression remained calm, though the weight of the situation was evident.

"However," Onyx continued, "I do have a method that might work, though it's far from perfect."

Orion, Rendall, Delilah, and Lilith all leaned in, their eyes fixed on Onyx.

"Chieftain, the stone we used to build the city walls—there's still plenty of it outside the city."

"Once winter passes, we could gather more of it and lay a layer of stone beneath the city, reinforcing the ground."

"If the Garland Tribe could enchant the stone flooring, the effect would be even better."

"At the very least, this would allow us to detect underground movements in advance, giving us time to prepare."

Orion listened carefully and nodded.

While not a perfect solution, Onyx's idea offered both defensive benefits and the added bonus of beautifying Blackstone City.

"If Prophet Onyx's plan works, we could intentionally leave certain areas unpaved and set traps there to lure underground dark creatures," Lilith suggested, building on Onyx's idea.

"Unfortunately, this would be a massive undertaking and would take time to complete," she added.

Orion didn't respond immediately.

His thumb tapped rhythmically against the table as he silently weighed the feasibility of the plan.