Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Arthas: It's exactly what you're thinking. In some worlds, the existence of Survivors is an open secret. In others, we're actively hunted by everyone.

Arthas: Think about it. The rise of a Survivor is almost always fueled by slaughter and war. That means threatening the status, resources, and territory of the established powers. Not everyone is as lucky as you, to rise so quickly and successfully.

Arthas's words were heavy, as if dredging up bad memories.

Arthas: And it's not just Survivors who have it rough. None of the Awakened do.

After a long pause, another message came through. Orion was about to ask for more details when Arthas sent something that blindsided him completely.

Arthas: You know Lolth, right?

Orion: The spider broodmother on the Dawn Continent in the Emerald Dream Realm. The Deputy Commander's slave.

Arthas: She's dead. The Deputy Commander ripped her soul right out of her body.

Orion drew a sharp, cold breath, a chill washing over him as if he'd been doused in ice water.

Arthas: What exactly is the Survivor's Platform? Everyone is trying to figure that out, but nobody has the answer. But when you discover that Awakened exist from other worlds… dissecting their 'talents' becomes a viable way to study the Platform. We do it. They do it. To certain powers, the Awakened are nothing more than prey. We're lab rats.

A heavy silence hung between their messages.

Arthas: There are some things you're only qualified to know once you reach the demigod level. But since you asked, I'll tell you a few things.

His tone turned serious, cold, and impersonal.

Arthas: That Torin you mentioned… my guess is the clown either tore out his soul or sacrificed it to some Reaper. The history of the Champions Alliance is filled with instances like this. Even some gods are hunting the Awakened, devouring them.

The revelation made Orion's skin crawl. Suddenly, it all made sense. This, perhaps, was the real reason the Big Bosses like Arthas were so desperately searching for and cultivating allies. There was strength in numbers, and huddling together for warmth was always better than freezing alone.

Arthas: The irony is that traitors like the clown and the witch sold out the Champions Alliance, sold out our commander, all for some shortcut to the demigod level. They're too stupid to realize they'll just end up on someone else's plate sooner or later.

Arthas: Hulk, I think you get it now. Our real enemies are the gods who have yet to fully manifest in this world. They hunt us, so we have to fight back.

The Awakened… Survivors… Gods… Devouring… A series of keywords flashed in Orion's mind, and a horrifying thought began to surface.

Orion: Bro, that Flower Goddess, the one who's been giving me so much trouble… she's not…

He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

Arthas: What else would she be? Do you think she'd waste her divine power harassing you time and time again if you weren't one of the Awakened? Think about it. Why did she try to invade your sea of consciousness in the first place?

Orion fell silent. All this time, he'd thought the Flower Goddess's obsession with him, the damned Curse of a Hundred Blossoms, was because of Violet. He never imagined the real reason was his status as one of the Awakened.

Arthas: Look, don't overthink it. As long as the gods haven't fully manifested, we're relatively safe. Focus on getting stronger. When the new Age arrives, we'll need every ounce of power we have just to survive, let alone to fight for supremacy.

The new Age? Orion was full of questions, but when he asked what that meant, Arthas went silent on the topic.

"Heh…" Orion let out a dry, humorless laugh. "I thought demigod was the finish line. Turns out, it's just the starting gate."

Honestly, since reaching the arch lord level, he had felt secure, powerful enough to protect himself in both the Titanion Realm and the Emerald Dream Realm. That confidence had bred a certain amount of pride.

Now, he realized how far he still had to go. His current power as a middle arch lord was only possible because he had merged with the body of faith created by his mirror avatar.

The road ahead is long, he murmured to himself in the quiet of the grand hall.

Silverwood Realm, The Stillness.

Inside the castle, Orion granted an audience to Aerin and Xylia, who had come to formally pledge their allegiance.

"Rise," Orion said from his throne. "The Wood Elves will not be treated as slaves in my territory. Offer me your loyalty. Fight for yourselves, for your people, and for me. As your lord, I will reward great service with the spoils of war, with slaves of your own, with a fiefdom, and with the resources to grow stronger. You will want for nothing."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "As Aerin has likely told you, this world is not our home. Which means we have the power to make good on every single promise I just made."

The fact that the Wood Elves had chosen to stay genuinely pleased him. Aerin and Xylia rose to their feet, a clear look of relief on both their faces. To not be enslaved was more than they had hoped for.

"My lord, Xylia pledges her sword and her life to you and the Horde," Xylia said, her voice firm.

Orion nodded. Compared to Aerin, Xylia was more ruthless, a decisive killer. Aerin was better suited for internal affairs—leading the Wood Elf race within the territory, a role in which she already had his complete trust. Xylia, on the other hand, was a weapon. She should be out in the Forest of Nature, leading search-and-destroy missions alongside Tangere, rescuing more of her people.

"Here is my decree," Orion announced. "Aerin, you will be in charge of overseeing the construction of the camp's defenses and managing the logistics for both the Wood Elves and the Shield Warriors. Xylia, I am assigning Caesar and a contingent of his Shield Warriors to you. Expand your search-and-rescue operations. Find as many of your people as you can, as quickly as you can."

Caesar and his men were warriors. Keeping them on construction duty is a waste. A wolf needs to hunt.

"As you command, My lord!"

"As you command, My lord!"

With a wave of his hand, Orion dismissed the two visibly overjoyed elves.