Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Morning came, and Orion awoke from his slumber, feeling the crisp chill in the air.

He threw on his cloak and pulled back the tent flap. The world outside had transformed.

The wind howled, snowflakes danced in the air—winter had arrived, just like that.

Outside the tent, Dace and Otho were shouting orders to a few giants, clearing the snow nearby.

"Chieftain, you're awake!"

Orion nodded, glanced at the tribesmen of Moonshadow Valley, and then stepped out, heading toward the valley's edge.

Since the wall had been completed, Blackstone Town, under the command of the succubi, had built several large stone halls within the walls.

These massive structures not only provided shelter for the tribespeople but also served as temporary granaries and armories.

At this moment, Blackstone Town was still bustling. Under the glow of bonfires, the tribesmen were methodically clearing the snow.

"The chieftain is here!"

"Good morning, chieftain!"

"Chieftain!"

Orion nodded in response to each greeting as he made his way up the wall. When he saw the excited Elder Rendall, he smiled and asked:

"Elder, you seem quite pleased. Did something happen last night?"

Elder Rendall, seeing Orion coming to relieve him, brushed the snow off his shoulders and laughed.

"Hahaha... Chieftain, you're here!"

"No dark creatures showed up, but I did win a bet with Thundar. Got myself a nice piece of beast hide."

Thundar shook his head with a wry smile, not mentioning what the bet was about.

Orion didn't pry either, chuckling as he said, "Leave this to me. You two go get some rest."

Rendall and Thundar nodded, slinging their weapons over their shoulders as they descended the wall.

A few minutes later, Prophet Onyx climbed up to take his shift.

"Prophet, hold the wall. I'm going to make my rounds."

"As you wish, Chieftain."

Orion made his way to the nearby tower, inspecting it thoroughly. Seeing the stockpile of crossbows and throwing weapons piled high, he left the tower satisfied.

When he reached the eastern ridge, Orion gazed down at the underground canyon below, his expression growing serious.

Last winter, Blind Spiders had appeared here.

"Increase vigilance. Be on the lookout for Blind Spiders or any other dark creatures that might launch a surprise attack."

"Yes, Chieftain!"

The guards here were a mixed team of succubi and giants, all with night vision—perfect for defending this area.

"Chieftain, Prophet Onyx sent me to inform you—there's something happening at the south gate!"

The messenger was James.

Orion nodded without saying much, gathering his men and heading toward the south gate.

The south gate, facing the southern wall, was the widest section of the fortifications.

Orion had ordered a large amount of bait to be scattered in that area.

Soon, Orion arrived at the south gate.

"Prophet, what's the situation?"

Onyx didn't speak but pointed into the distance. A group of Dark Fiends was devouring the bait set in the traps.

"Chieftain, this is the first batch of dark creatures we've seen this year. There aren't too many of them. Should we wait a bit longer?"

Orion assessed the group of dark creatures—there were only about thirty of them.

"No need to wait. Kill them, extract the dark source crystals, and then use their bodies as part of the bait."

Prophet Onyx nodded, hefting his massive stone hammer as he prepared to head out.

Orion grabbed Prophet Onyx by the arm, his voice low.

"Prophet, let the rookies handle this. You don't need to get involved." Stay connected via empire

"I understand, Chieftain."

Prophet Onyx paused for a moment but quickly realized what Orion was planning. He knew Orion wanted to train the newly awakened bloodline warriors.

Though the dark beast tides were upon them, everyone knew this year's tide would be relatively easy to handle.

Training the bloodline warriors now was preparation for next year's myriad races invasion.

After all, the intelligent races to the south were far more cunning than dark creatures. They knew how to exploit weaknesses and avoid danger.

Orion remained on the wall, overseeing everything to prevent any surprises.

Prophet Onyx led the team to hunt down the small group of Dark Fiends. The battle started quickly and ended just as fast.

After all, a large group of bloodline warriors had surrounded only thirty or so Dark Fiends. They had a clear numerical advantage.

Half an hour later, Prophet Onyx returned to the wall, holding several dark source crystals, which he handed to Orion.

According to their rules, 20% of the spoils from each battle would go into the communal stockpile, with the rest distributed based on merit.

"Dark source crystals can only be hunted once a year. They're so rare," Orion sighed as he toyed with the crystals in his hand.

"Indeed, these things are precious. Not just in the Black Forest, but in other regions as well, dark source crystals are incredibly scarce."

Hearing this, Orion didn't hesitate to ask, "Oh... Prophet, do other races also know that hunting dark creatures yields dark source crystals?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Orion regretted it. He felt foolish for asking such an obvious question.

After all, it was the serpentfolk Lysinthia who had told him about this in the first place.

If the serpentfolk knew, of course other races would too. Was that really so surprising?

However, the experienced Prophet Onyx still took the time to explain some lesser-known details to Orion.

"Chieftain, as far as I know, nearly every race or tribe with an Alpha-level presence is aware of this."

"Alpha-level beings can easily hunt dark creatures. These races are usually quite powerful and well-established."

"Even I knew about it. Every year when the dark beast tides come, we organize our people to hunt dark creatures."

As Prophet Onyx spoke, his expression grew somber, as if recalling some painful memory.

He steadied himself, gazing into the distant darkness before continuing.

"Of course, for safety's sake, we only hunt small numbers of dark creatures."

"When we encounter high-level or large groups of dark creatures, we hide in our shelters and pray we aren't discovered."

"We're not the only ones. The trolls to the east do the same."

At this, Orion had a question.

"Prophet, why didn't the giants know about this before?"

Prophet Onyx turned his gaze back to Orion, meeting his eyes.

"Chieftain, your parents surely knew. But I don't know why they chose to keep it from you."

"My guess is they were trying to protect you and your sister."

Suddenly, everything clicked for Orion.

It wasn't that his parents were unaware of the situation. They had deliberately kept certain things hidden, not wanting their children or the tribe to be drawn into danger.

Orion's sister had been a prime example. After reaching Alpha level, she had joined the myriad races invasion and was killed by the enemy.

Under Orion's father's leadership, the giant tribe wasn't the most powerful in the Black Forest, but they had managed to survive.

In the past, the strongest race in the Black Forest wasn't the Giants or the Succubi—it was the Obsidian Golems.

The only reason the Obsidian Golems hadn't unified the Black Forest was that they were biding their time, waiting for an Alpha-level warrior to emerge from their ranks.

And the Prophet Onyx standing before Orion was likely the hope of this generation of Obsidian Golems.

Before an Alpha-level warrior emerged within their ranks, the Obsidian Golems had no desire to see any other race in the Black Forest rise to power.

This was one of the reasons why the Obsidian Golems had largely ignored the affairs of the Black Forest, and why Rockwell had been so indifferent toward the serpentfolk.

Orion looked at Prophet Onyx, a strange smile forming on his face.

"My sister and I rising to power—that wasn't something you expected, was it?"

"Indeed, Chieftain," Prophet Onyx replied without hesitation. The Obsidian Golems had their own agenda back then, and the fragmented power structure of the Black Forest was a result of their deliberate neglect.

"I never saw Clymene's strength firsthand, but I have no doubt about your power!" Prophet Onyx added, throwing in a small compliment.

Orion responded with a smile. "Over the past few centuries, have you ever heard of an Alpha-level warrior breaking through to the Legendary level?"

Orion gazed into the distant darkness, his tone casual, but there was a deep seriousness in his eyes.

"No, I've never heard of such a thing."

"The lords in the surrounding regions who have reached the Legendary level have remained unchanged for as long as I can remember."

In that moment, Orion's eyes sharpened.

"As I thought, most powerful beings are stuck at the Alpha level."

His suspicions confirmed, Orion's aura fluctuated slightly, though he quickly regained his composure.

Prophet Onyx sensed the shift in Orion's aura and quickly asked, "Chieftain, is something wrong?"

Orion smiled and shook his head, his interest waning.

"Nothing. I just saw a flying dark creature pass over Moonshadow Valley, but it's already gone."

Prophet Onyx let out a sigh of relief, though a part of him felt disappointed. If an Alpha-level dark creature had attacked, Prophet Onyx believed it might have been his chance to advance.

"Prophet, don't worry. When the time comes, it will come," Orion reassured him, then tucked the dark source crystals into his Bagbird pouches, his expression calm and untroubled.

By evening, Rendall and Thundar arrived to take over the watch.

"Rendall, be cautious and make sure to train the rookies."

"If anything happens, call for me, and I'll come right away."

Elder Rendall nodded. He hadn't encountered any dark creatures the previous night and had missed out on some "extra earnings," so he was eager now that he knew dark creatures had shown up.

"Don't worry, I'll let you know if anything happens!"

Orion nodded and, along with his men, left the wall.

---

Moonshadow Valley, Chieftain's Tent.

With Lilith and Lysinthia attending to him, Orion had already filled his stomach.

The two women had even prepared hot water for him, ensuring he could enjoy a comfortable bath.

The bath was large, and both Lilith and Lysinthia had stripped off their clothes, their naked bodies moving in turns as they washed Orion.

The one not busy washing him naturally raised her hips, welcoming the thrusts of Orion's massive cock.

With each of Orion's movements, the water in the basin sloshed violently, and the tent was filled with the sounds of Lilith and Lysinthia's moans...

---

Three hours later, Orion, holding the two women who had fallen into a deep sleep, shifted his focus to the Survivor's Platform.

As usual, Orion initiated a trade, paying Aerin a batch of crystals in exchange for Pet Pills and some mid-level magical plants.

After some thought, Orion decided to probe Aerin with a question.

"Do you know anything about the dark beast tides?"

Normally, Orion wouldn't be so reckless as to ask such a direct question.

Doing so could easily reveal his location and potentially bring unknown dangers to him.

However, after becoming more familiar with Aerin, Orion had gotten a sense of the elf's personality.

He knew that Aerin was a low-ranking elf with little in the way of resources or connections.

If it weren't for her connection with Orion, Aerin would likely have remained stuck at the elite level for a long time.

Of course, there was always the possibility that Aerin was deceiving him.

But in his quest for more information, Orion couldn't resist testing the waters.

"Dark beast tides… what's that? Never heard of it!"

Orion frowned as he read Aerin's reply, deep in thought.

---

Forest of Nature, Elf Treehouse.

Aerin stared at Orion's message, also lost in thought.

"Dark beast tides… from the sound of it, it seems pretty terrifying!"

"Hulk, you better not die on me. I'm counting on you as my big client!"

"Silvanya, Goddess of the Elves, please protect Hulk. Don't let him be killed by the dark beast tides!"

---

Moonshadow Valley, Chieftain's Tent.

Orion had finished his contemplation and reached two conclusions.

First, if Aerin wasn't lying, then the two of them were likely not on the same continent.

Orion pushed the thought aside, deciding not to reply to Aerin, as if he had already forgotten the conversation.

Next, Orion turned his attention to the grain merchant, Scarecrow. The guy had been cold and distant, still not responding to Orion's messages.

"Has this guy really just ignored my messages like they're spam?"

Orion felt a bit disheartened. For the Stoneheart Horde to grow, food was a crucial factor.

Currently, the horde's food supply consisted mainly of beast meat and some wild mushrooms.

As for fruits, the Black Forest had them, but in very limited quantities.

Grain, however, was practically nonexistent.

The Black Forest had very little sunlight throughout the year, making it impossible to grow crops.

Orion had long considered the idea of leading his people to clear land and start farming.

But he had also dismissed the idea early on.

With insufficient sunlight and long winters, farming was a dead end.

This meant that the Stoneheart Horde couldn't rely on production to sustain itself.

If they wanted to grow, they would have to turn to raiding.

This was the path Orion had mapped out for himself and the Stoneheart Horde. His goal was to make himself and his people stronger, then launch invasions, pillaging and plundering to develop a raider civilization.

As the saying goes, if you're strong enough, what's theirs is yours.

Orion had hoped to establish a stable food supply chain with the grain merchant Scarecrow, much like he had with Aerin.

A mutually beneficial relationship, where both sides profited.

"Good things take time. I'll wait a little longer."

Orion reassured himself, trying to stay optimistic, and sent another message to the grain merchant Scarecrow.

"I want to buy a hundred tons of your grain, paying in crystals."

Orion refused to believe that Scarecrow could resist such an offer.

Finally, Orion turned his attention to a message from Arthas.

"Hulk, my friend, you haven't kicked the bucket, have you?"

This time, Arthas wasn't talking business but instead expressing concern for Orion.

"Arthas, my old friend, I'm not going anywhere. I've been busy building up my horde, laying the foundation!"

To be honest, Orion thought of Arthas as a bit of an unscrupulous merchant, but he had learned a lot from him.

And every deal between them had been mutually agreed upon.

In all fairness, Arthas had been something of a benefactor to Orion.

Still, business was business. Whether it was acting or genuine friendship, Orion knew he had to play his cards right, negotiating and bargaining to secure the best deal for himself.