Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

In the Emerald Dream Realm, Red Moon Valley.

Red Moon Valley was once the territory of the Red Thread Clan. It earned its name because the valley's terrain curved into a crescent moon shape.

The valley's geography was peculiar, featuring two parallel exits separated by a mountain, each exit forming one of the crescent's tips.

Beyond the entrances lay an arc-shaped interior—a natural haven, a geomantic treasure.

At this moment, Legendary-level powerhouse Loska stood before a stone monument, heart pounding with a mix of tension and exhilaration.

This was one of the ancestral lands of the Red Thread Clan—Loska's own heritage.

He had traded territory twice the size of Red Moon Valley to reclaim it.

The reason? Hidden within Red Moon Valley was a cross-realm teleportation array.

This array was so well-concealed that only those with pure Red Thread Clan blood could sense and activate it.

"Perfect! The cross-realm teleportation array is intact. The Red Thread Clan has a shot at rising again!"

Loska's excitement was palpable. Within a 10K foot radius of the teleportation array, all forms of perception were blocked.

This meant that as long as Loska stayed near it, he could evade the senses of demigod-level beings and avoid the void passage entirely.

"When the dark beast tides hit Titanion Realm, and all the Legendary-level warriors head to guard the void passage, that'll be my chance to slip into Titanion Realm and seize resources."

"The Red Thread Clan will rise again—destined to reclaim its place as a top faction in the Emerald Dream Realm!"

Loska kept hyping himself up while steadily channeling transcendent power into the teleportation array.

Once it was fully charged, he'd teleport to Titanion Realm.

---

In Blackstone City, at the Bottomless Abyss.

After multiple sweeps, the vast majority of subterranean creatures dwelling in the Bottomless Abyss had been wiped out.

Only a handful of timid ones remained, cowering deep underground, too afraid to show themselves.

By now, those creatures posed no threat to Clymene and her crew—instead, they'd become the hunted.

Through this period of trials, Vargrum, Mordak, Zorn, Balgor, Grendel, and Desdemona had all advanced to Alpha-level.

Together with Clymene, they guarded the underworld, which had essentially become the Stoneheart Horde's backyard.

The cost? The layer of deathly aura that once shrouded the underworld had grown noticeably thin.

"Clymene, when Orion comes back and sees these defensive structures and arrow towers we've built, he's going to be blown away."

Vargrum smashed a rock with his hammer, gathered the pieces, and hauled them toward a nearby defensive building.

Ever since they'd learned that the teleportation array might connect to an enemy from another realm, Clymene had led Vargrum, Mordak, Zorn, and the others in a dual effort: clearing out the subterranean creatures while constructing defenses around the array.

As Clymene put it, it was all about being prepared.

After all, the surface above housed the Stoneheart Horde and a large population of giants.

With confirmation from the succubus Desdemona, they'd taken the tens of thousands of skeleton warriors Orion had left them and, while building defense towers, planned out the underworld—adding living quarters and fortified zones.

What was once a desolate, shadowy underworld now had the rustic charm of a classical-era village.

"The deathly aura here keeps thinning, Clymene. We need to start planning for the future."

It was the succubus Desdemona who spoke.

She hadn't reached Alpha-level in life, but after being reborn as a Skeletal Being, she'd finally achieved it.

Her words silenced the gathered Skeletal Knights around her.

"Planning for the future" meant one thing to them: leaving.

Once the deathly aura here ran dry, they'd have to move on.

They'd grown accustomed to the underworld, and above ground, they had friends and family they couldn't bear to leave behind.

If they left, where would they go?

The world beyond the teleportation array?

And if they went there, could they ever come back?

These questions hung over them, the mood growing heavy with reluctance and worry.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time!"

"According to Orion, beyond that teleportation array lies a new world."

"I'm going to carve out a new territory for Orion—for the horde!"

Grendel's voice brimmed with ambition and hope.

Aside from Clymene, he'd been the first among them to hit Alpha-level.

His words sparked a fire in everyone's hearts, pushing aside their lingering attachments.

"From the day we were reborn, we knew this moment would come eventually, didn't we?"

"There's a difference between the dead and the living."

"We've been given a chance to persist in this unique way, to keep contributing to the horde. That should be enough."

"When Orion returns, I'll talk to him about where we go next."

"My brother Orion—he's worth our trust!"

Clymene's words filled their eyes with hope, faith, and a touch of fervor.

"He's the King of Giants!"

"The lord of the Stoneheart Horde!"

"Orion hasn't forgotten us—why else would he have sent us here?"

"Yeah, if Orion could bring us back, he's got a plan for us!"

"…"

But just as they chattered excitedly about their future, the massive stone monument in the center of the underworld suddenly emitted a soft, radiant glow.

Everyone present saw it.

"Clymene, the monument's glowing—am I seeing things?"

"I saw it too!"

"…"

Yet what followed was Clymene's sharp, wary voice.

"Something's up! Everyone, get into combat mode!"

"Center defenses around the arrow towers—stay alert!"

In an instant, the air crackled with deathly energy. The skeleton warriors, mid-construction, dropped their tools, grabbed their weapons, and surrounded the teleportation array in a tight, impenetrable ring.

Meanwhile, Clymene, Vargrum, Mordak, Zorn, Balgor, Grendel, and Desdemona donned their bone armor, fully geared up.

But after half a day of waiting, no enemy emerged from the array.

Clymene stood behind an arrow tower, frowning as she stared at the teleportation array, her guard firmly up.

"You all keep watch. I'll be right back."

After a moment's thought, she stepped into a nearby building and activated the will projection Orion had left within her.