Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

The next morning, Orion and Lich Vexis led a massive army in pursuit of the slime molds layer.

Likewise, other warzones were also busy driving away the fungal creatures.

Titanion Realm, Stoneheart City.

High above Stoneheart City rang the excited shriek of the Four-Winged Blood Bat. Delilah looked up just as the corpse of a flying-type Alpha-level dark creature came crashing onto the city wall with a resonant thud.

With the arrow tower's support, the Four-Winged Blood Bat had just slain an Alpha-level dark creature. Now it was looking to Delilah for praise.

Delilah's lips curled slightly, her face shining with a faint hint of delight.

In the southern winter, daytime lasts longer and the temperature is much warmer than in the north.

The dark beast tides are about to retreat!

If this were Blackstone City, it would still be a long night at this time of year.

But here in the south, daylight has already arrived.

"I wonder how Buffalofolk City, Obsidian City, Delilah City, and Lilith City are faring. Let's hope the losses aren't too great."

Still thinking about the four cities under construction, Delilah couldn't help feeling worried.

"The sky's getting lighter. Maybe we should send out the Sentinel Corps to get a better idea of what's happening in those four cities."

"And when is Orion coming back?"

"…"

Standing on the city wall, while Delilah was lost in thought, Godfrey raised his head to the sky, also deep in contemplation.

The human kingdom has always lived in the south. Growing up here, Godfrey knows the dark beast tides will soon recede.

Daybreak and spring rain are the two critical signals that the tides are leaving.

Glancing around at the various non-human bloodline warriors stationed on the wall, Godfrey felt something indescribable stir within him.

In the face of dark creatures, they all stood united and fought with bravery.

He has reached a point with these other races—strangers at first, then acquaintances, then allies—where he feels an emotion he's never experienced before.

He can't recall when it appeared, and he doesn't quite know how to describe it.

"What a pity that the dark creatures are about to withdraw!"

That lament came from the Giant Brundar, who stood beside Godfrey. He was Godfrey's best friend in Stoneheart City.

They had spent the whole winter side by side, helping and depending on each other.

"Godfrey, you fought with such courage and took down three Alpha-level dark creatures. Our lord will definitely reward you."

"A reward?"

"Yeah. In Stoneheart Horde, we always reward those who distinguish themselves. That's the lord's rule."

"The lord's rule?"

"Yes—Orion, the King of Giants!"

Godfrey found it hard to believe he would be rewarded by the Giant King—after all, he was still an outsider to them.

"Come on. I'll take you to my place for a drink!"

Godfrey nodded, following the towering Brundar down from the city wall.

Soaring Bird City.

In a makeshift tent, Torin and his two attendants—Mike and Wyatt—were gathered together, gazing toward Soaring Bird City and the world beyond its walls.

"Master, the dark beast tides will end soon. What should we do next?"

What should they do? Torin didn't really know.

After all, neither the slaves who built Soaring Bird City nor the soldiers and mercenaries who stood guard belonged to him.

Right now, Torin might as well be a prisoner with his hands tied.

He had been stripped of power; Soaring Bird City was his in name only.

Torin's expression shifted from anger to menace, then from menace to calm.

He'd spent the entire winter thinking about how to break free of this predicament.

Torin was well aware that he no longer had any path to victory inside the human kingdom.

To find a solution, he would have to rely on external forces.

That was Torin's plan to shatter the impasse!

And there were only three major races around his territory: the Blood Elves, the Giants, and the Ogres.

Blood Elves were impossible—they had too many ties to the high-ranking officials of the human royal family.

Approaching them would be suicide.

Ogres were hotheaded and mindless, so Torin immediately ruled them out.

That left just one option: the Giants, namely the Stoneheart Horde.

"Once the dark beast tides are gone, we're heading for Stoneheart City."

Mike and Wyatt exchanged looks, clearly taken aback.

"Master, are we going to abandon Soaring Bird City?"

Mike ventured softly, glancing at Torin's back.

"Do we have any control over it now?"

Torin's voice hardened the moment Soaring Bird City came up, as if barely able to temper his anger.

"At this point, there's no chance for us to take Soaring Bird City back."

"But we can still take charge of ourselves."

"Even if the giants have no interest in what little use we may have left, traveling to their territory and back will let us buy their rare goods. We can at least earn some coins."

This notion of personally braving the market was Torin's strategy to break out of his current predicament.

Under the guise of trading, he intended not only to earn the funds he needed to regain power, but also to secretly align with the Stoneheart Horde.

That was Torin's plan!

He still had a secret trump card, of course, but his two men couldn't know about that.

…

Valkorath Realm, and in the blink of an eye, another month had passed.

Orion had returned to Soraya City, sitting confidently on his throne.

During this month, Orion had often ventured alone into the slime molds layer, specifically hunting Legendary-level parasitic slime molds.

After many trials, he now knew how to wield his own power as well as the strength granted by the Titan Emblem.

Naturally, he had gained plenty in return.

After putting things in order, Orion focused on the Survivor's Platform to speak with his allies in the Champions Alliance.

Hulk: "Deputy Commander, the void passage in my world is about to close. I need to bring some of my people back and rotate in a new group. I'm hoping you can help me!"

Large-scale inter-realm teleportation is impossible without the large scrolls provided by Deputy Commander Edward. For that reason, every member of the Champions Alliance maintained a polite deference toward him—Orion included.

Edward: "I'll give you the scrolls in a couple of days via delayed trade. Keep an eye out."

Edward's prompt response surprised Orion. He had thought it would take at least half a month, since the Deputy Commander also had to repair the realm formation.

Leonidas: "Hulk, aren't you going to stay a little longer for a better haul? Once you leave, Squiddy's bound to surpass you."

Kraken: "Hey big boss, I'm the one who's sticking with you here!"

Now that everyone was on friendly terms, Kraken often jumped in to rib Leonidas and Orion.

Leonidas: "I'd love to help you out, but you're a marine species, and you can't do much about fungal creatures on land!"

Hulk: "I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Leonidas: "You'd better hurry. My territory overflows with fungal creatures waiting for you to herd them into the sea. If you delay too long, you'll miss out."

Orion nodded in agreement when he heard that.

Leonidas: "And Squiddy, knock it off—there are more than enough fungal creatures. When they move into open water, it'll be your time to shine."

Leonidas made it clear: those fungal creatures on land were Orion's opportunity. Once they entered the sea, it would be Kraken's turn.

Leonidas: "Squiddy, in a while I'll deploy a squad of aquatic beasts to assist you. Use them well."

Kraken: "Really? Thanks, Big Boss!"

Alexander: "Deputy Commander and I will hold off on wiping out the fungal creatures in our zones. You'll only get one shot at this, so don't blow it."

Indeed, this was the Champions Alliance's reward for the newer members—Orion and Kraken—who had proven their commitment to the war.

They were called "new" only compared to veterans like Leonidas.

Hulk: "I really appreciate all of your support!"

Afterward, Orion discussed some details regarding the fungal creatures, then logged out of the public channel.

Arriving at the trading area, Orion accepted some delayed trades from Scarecrow, securing a considerable amount of grain.

Since winter is Scarecrow's downtime, Orion sent him a quick message: "Hey bro, can the grains you sold me be used as seeds?"

It was an important question. Orion had carved out a vast territory in the Valkorath Realm, and once its soil regained vitality, his plan was to turn the land into farmland.

Naturally, farmland requires agriculture and planting.

"They can, but you need fertile soil."

"You've seen that the grains I sold you—while not magical plants—are high quality."

"If you need seeds, I can send you a batch of more resilient ones, but I can't promise a great yield."

Scarecrow was notably generous. After sending his reply, he immediately initiated a trade with Orion.

After receiving Scarecrow's seeds, Orion placed a portion of Alpha-level life essence on the table.