Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

After swallowing the enemy's Lord's Stone, Dirtclaw finally looked up at the storm-wracked sky.

There, he saw the figure of Orion. And behind him, their faces masks of pure reverence, were Sever and the four Bone brothers.

"Praise be to My lord!" Dirtclaw bellowed, his voice raw with devotion. "Your glory bathes the entire battlefield! You are the greatest being in Dirtclaw's heart!"

Awooo!

Overcome with emotion, he let out his customary bestial howl of excitement.

Orion's presence meant they had won the clash between the top-tier combatants. And with that advantage, every last one of these demonic monsters on the field would be converted into spoils of war.

Dirtclaw's entire body thrummed with a savage glee. He spun around and charged toward the lords of another battle zone.

Maybe… maybe… I can reach the peak of the Legendary tier in this war!

The incredible thought sparked in his mind—a mad ambition he hadn't dared to entertain before, but one that his body was already acting upon.

Kill… eat… kill… eat…

In that moment, it was the only thought left in his head.

***

In the south, at the Cult of Four's Black Tower.

Within the Shadow Sanctum on the fifth floor, candle flames flickered to life one by one, pushing back the oppressive darkness and breaking the profound silence. A series of sharp cracks echoed through the hall, a sound like ice splintering, like a parched earth groaning as it split apart.

At the front of the grand hall, beneath the statues of the Four Gods, eight other effigies began to crack and crumble, shedding stone until they collapsed into piles of rubble.

"Damn you to hell!" a furious voice roared from one of the piles. "You despicable giant! I will kill you!"

As the demigod Konak finished his vow, the seven statues beside his own completely disintegrated. The figures of the female knight, the shadow, the moon giants, the Tailed Demon, the Firelord, the Abyssal Devourer, and the Balor all stepped out of the debris, gathering behind Konak's draconic, humanoid form.

"My lord, we have failed you," the Balor said, his head bowed. After Konak's phantom was slain, he and the others had tried to flee, but they were intercepted by the combined might of Sever and the Bone brothers. In the end, every last one of them had been hunted down and killed by Orion.

However, the Cult of Four was built on a deep foundation. They possessed many secret techniques that could preserve the lives of their followers, which was one of the main reasons so many were willing to die for them. The statues erected in the Black Tower, worshiped by the faithful, were one such technique.

"This failure is not yours," Konak growled. "That detestable giant… he is an Over-tier expert. He could even slay my demigod phantom. He was not an enemy you could have handled." He snorted. "Rest and recover. This isn't over."

It was only now, Konak realized, that he understood why Yriel, the former Pontiff and master of the northern Black Tower, had come to him for aid. And the arrival of Pontiff Jack should have been a clear sign that their enemy was no simple matter.

"My arrogance was my downfall," Konak muttered to himself. A demigod was no fool. A single defeat was enough for him to recognize his error. He also began to understand, with dawning fury, that he'd been played. Yriel and Jack had used him as their pawn, their sacrificial lamb.

Hmph… you want to see me humiliated? It won't be that easy.

Konak strode toward the top floor of the Black Tower. Yriel and Jack were residing there. He had a feeling the two of them would have something to say to him.

***

Hydraea Plains—The Front Lines.

Orion himself was no longer there.

Of course, as the Alpha commanding the front, he hadn't just abandoned his post. He had left the arch lord-peak Deathly Soul-Reaper on the battlefield in his stead.

His own mirrored avatar, however, had teleported back to his Black Tower the first chance it got. Besides the bizarre aftermath of the Abyssal Devourer's death, the avatar was severely weakened from using Blood Sacrifice and was no longer fit for the battlefield.

***

The Black Tower, Sixth Floor.

The Deputy Commander and Alexander flanked Orion, circling him, observing and probing his avatar with intense focus. After a long while, they both shook their heads.

"I used the specialized diagnostic method contained within my sacred sword," Alexander said. "I can't find anything wrong. On the surface, your very essence seems to have been diminished, but there's also a massive, undigested reserve of life energy inside you that is constantly nourishing your body. From what I can tell, not only are you not in danger, you're actually recovering, slowly but surely."

Orion understood what he was saying. While Blood Sacrifice had consumed half of his life energy, the entire essence of the Abyssal Devourer was still churning inside him, far too much to be digested quickly. What he had lost was slowly being replenished.

But the replenishment wasn't what terrified him. It was the other force—the one that had seized control of his body without him even noticing. That was the reason Orion had rushed back, desperate for his two comrades to examine him.

Alexander having found nothing, Orion turned his anxious gaze to the Deputy Commander.

The Deputy Commander said nothing, continuing to cast a series of diagnostic spells whose effects were a mystery to Orion.

"Deputy Commander?" Orion finally asked, his voice quiet, his eyes pleading.

But the Deputy Commander just shook his head again.

"Is it hopeless?" Orion's voice cracked with desperation. "Am I a lost cause? I don't even know when it happened."

"No, that's not it," the Deputy Commander clarified. "I couldn't find anything abnormal either."

Phew… Orion let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, but the relief was immediately replaced by a fresh wave of anxiety.

"While I found nothing, I do have a theory," the Deputy Commander said. At his words, both Orion and Alexander snapped to attention.

"Based on your description of events, the one who controlled you was likely a god from your own giant race. And if it was a god, then they were operating on a level of cosmic law—of fundamental rules. When it comes to such rules, Alexander and I are still in the elementary stages of understanding."

The Deputy Commander adopted the look of a scholar humbled by the infinite mysteries of the cosmos, an expression that nearly made Orion cry with frustration.

"Perhaps… you could go ask the commander," Alexander suggested, picking up where the Deputy Commander left off.

Within the Champions Alliance, the commander was the first to have achieved the rank of demigod. No one knew the true extent of his power now. But if anyone understood the rules of divine power, it would be him.

"The commander is in a deep slumber," the Deputy Commander interjected, ever the one to dash his hopes. "Even if you go to him, there's no guarantee he'll see you."

He paused. "…But you can try."

Orion rolled his eyes. He felt like the Deputy Commander was messing with him, but he had no proof.

"You might have some luck in the central region of the Valkorath Realm," the Deputy Commander finally offered, giving him a destination. He saw the instability in Orion's eyes and exchanged a look with Alexander. A decision was made.

"Go and sort this out first," Alexander said, clapping a hand on Orion's shoulder. "Then you can come back and go back to being the bait. And try not to worry. Based on what you said, if this god who controlled you really exists, it's unlikely they bear you any ill will."

He gave Orion a reassuring look. "Think about it. Not only are you unharmed, you came out of it with a massive increase in power. That's the best proof there is."