Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

When Orion returned to the chieftain's tent in the center of Blackstone City, he was greeted by the sight of Lilith, Violet, and Lysinthia enchanting the elders' weapons.

The scene caught Orion by surprise, but it also filled him with satisfaction.

Lilith was establishing her own authority within the horde.

This was a good thing.

Orion took his seat at the head of the table, poured himself a drink, and let the warmth of the alcohol spread through his body.

"You don't have to push yourself so hard," he said, glancing at Lilith, who was leaning against him while watching Violet and Lysinthia work.

"I envy their abilities," Lilith admitted, her tone soft but tinged with admiration.

Orion wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer so she could rest against his chest.

"Their abilities are yours as well," he said simply.

Lilith's heart melted at his words, a sweet warmth spreading through her.

From a nearby wooden box, Lilith retrieved a set of bone armor and handed it to Orion.

"I noticed the abyssal dragon wasn't wearing Ghostbone Armor. Did your armor get damaged?"

Orion nodded. Lilith's attention to such small details didn't go unnoticed.

His Ghostbone Armor had been severely damaged—90% of it destroyed—during his confrontation with Lord Ariel's will projection.

Repairing it would require absorbing a significant amount of high-grade bones, and there was no telling how long that would take.

"Then wear this set of bone armor. I had Elder Volthun modify it. Its defensive capabilities are better than standard bone armor."

Orion didn't refuse. He stood up, allowing Lilith to help him don the armor.

In no time, the bone armor fit snugly around him, its design both practical and imposing.

---

"Mistress, we've run out of enchantment potions!"

Violet approached, her expression tinged with regret.

The enchantment potions had been crafted by Delilah using all the magical plants available in the Stoneheart Horde. The supply had already been limited, and after enchanting the city walls, there was barely any left.

Hearing this, Orion's brow furrowed slightly. It was clear that cultivating magical plants needed to become a top priority.

---

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Before Orion could discuss the matter further with Violet, the urgent sound of Blackstone City's alarm bells echoed through the air.

"You all should rest and recover your strength. You'll need it for your shifts later tonight," Orion instructed before summoning his guards and leaving the tent.

---

At the southern city wall, the battle had already begun by the time Orion arrived.

"What's the situation?"

Lilith, calm and composed, stood atop the wall, her gaze fixed on the battlefield.

Orion joined her, his tone serious as he sought an update.

"So far, no Alpha-level dark creatures have appeared, but the number of ordinary dark creatures is significantly higher than last year."

"And the variety of dark creatures has increased as well."

"Chieftain, look over there—that's a type of tentacle monster rarely seen before!"

Lilith pointed toward a cluster of grotesque creatures that resembled massive flesh balls covered in writhing tentacles.

Each tentacle monster was roughly 35 feet in diameter, its body a pulsating mass of flesh. Dozens of long, flexible tentacles extended from its form, swaying and striking with alarming precision.

The tentacles deflected spears and arrows launched by the bloodline warriors, rendering their attacks ineffective.

As Orion observed, one of the tentacle monsters approached the wall. Using its tentacles for leverage, it vaulted into the air, attempting to land atop the fortifications.

Orion's sharp eyes caught the movement.

Whoosh!

Without hesitation, he grabbed a nearby spear and hurled it with immense force, skewering the tentacle monster mid-air and killing it instantly.

"We absolutely cannot let them climb the walls. If they breach the defenses, the bloodline warriors inside the horde will suffer heavy casualties."

"Xalathar, take care of those tentacle monsters!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Xalathar was the name of the abyssal dragon. Orion rarely referred to it by name, but in this instance, he needed the dragon to cooperate with the succubus sisters.

By using its name, Orion ensured that Xalathar would feel respected. If Delilah or Lilith had simply shouted, "Abyssal dragon, attack!" the dragon might have ignored them entirely.

Of course, Orion was an exception. His contract with the abyssal dragon ensured its obedience.

Roar!

The abyssal dragon let out a thunderous roar, its deep, guttural sound reverberating like a bass drum across the battlefield.

With a powerful leap, the dragon charged into the fray.

On the battlefield, Xalathar focused its attacks on the tentacle monsters, significantly easing the pressure on the defenders.

With the tentacle monsters neutralized, the remaining dark creatures—Dark Fiends, Night Stalkers, and Blind Spiders—became easy prey for the horde's warriors.

The battle raged for over two hours before the dark creatures were finally repelled.

---

"Send all the dark source crystals and dark creature corpses to the underground fissure!" Enjoy exclusive content from empire

"Tell Lorelia that this is the best opportunity for herself. If she misses it, she'll have to gather resources on the battlefield herself next year!"

Leaving these instructions, Orion returned to the chieftain's tent.

---

Inside the tent, Orion sat with a drink in hand, deep in thought.

This wave of dark creatures was only the beginning. The attacks would likely grow more intense in the coming days.

The sheer number of dark creatures—over 10,000 in this initial wave—was unprecedented for Orion.

It was clear that as the horde grew and its population increased, the dark beast tides would also intensify each year.

This phenomenon defied the natural laws of population dynamics.

It was as if all the races of this world were being deliberately targeted by some mysterious force or faction, triggering the dark beast tides annually.

"Dark beast tides… countless dark creatures… their bizarre appearances… What secrets lie behind all of this?"

For a moment, Orion considered mounting Thunderhawk Rayden and venturing into the darkness to investigate.

But the risks were too great. The thunderhawk's night vision was insufficient, and the sheer number of dark creatures during the beast tides made such an expedition incredibly dangerous.

If he were surrounded by a swarm of flying dark creatures, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"The stronger I become, the more I realize how mysterious and strange this world truly is. And the smaller I feel in comparison."

"I wonder if survivors like Arthas ever feel the same way."

"Ah… weakness is a sin. It limits my vision and prevents me from seeing the bigger picture."

Orion's thoughts wandered far, filled with both trepidation and longing for the unknown.

---

In the following days, the number of dark creatures assaulting Blackstone City increased dramatically.

To be precise, dark creatures from the entire region seemed to be converging on Blackstone City.

Since Orion had unified the Black Forest, all the tribes and clans had relocated to Blackstone City. Only after winter, when the horde began hunting beasts, would some members temporarily return to their ancestral lands for various reasons.

With no other sources of food, the dark creatures had no choice but to move toward Blackstone City.

---

At dawn, Orion carefully pried open the small hands of Violet and Lysinthia, which were tightly wrapped around his cock, and slipped out of the bed.

Just as he finished putting on his cloak, a sharp eagle cry pierced the air.

Orion froze for a moment before bolting out of the tent.

"Dace, sound the alarm! We're under attack!"

As he sprinted toward the peak of Moonshadow Valley, Orion shouted orders to his guard, Dace, to ring the alarm bell.

The guards couldn't be blamed for not sounding the alarm earlier—this time, the dark creatures were coming from the sky.

Of course, the thunderhawk's cry had been heard by the members of the Stoneheart Horde, but most of them didn't understand its significance.

Only a few experienced bloodline warriors who had witnessed the thunderhawk and Orion's coordination during the Myriad Races Invasion realized it might signal an attack.

---

At the underground fissure, Prophet Onyx looked up at the sky, his expression grim.

He couldn't see any dark creatures, which puzzled him.

The thunderhawk's cry had been sharp and urgent—a clear warning. Onyx had seen this behavior during the Myriad Races Invasion.

"Earthshaker, head to the southern gate and ask Elder of Stewardship Delilah if she knows what's happening."

"If Delilah doesn't know, go to the chieftain's tent and wait for Orion. Report back to me once you have any news."

Earthshaker nodded and immediately ran toward the southern city wall.

---

At the southern city wall, Delilah stood atop a watchtower, her face filled with confusion.

She had also heard the thunderhawk's cry.

From her vantage point, the view was excellent, but even from the watchtower, she couldn't spot any dark creatures.

"Dirtclaw, send someone to the underground fissure to gather information!"

"Also, send someone to the chieftain's tent to wait for Orion. Report back to me as soon as there's any news!"

Dirtclaw bowed deeply and responded, "As you command, master," before hurrying off to carry out her orders.

---

At the peak of Moonshadow Valley, the thunderhawk swooped down as Orion arrived, allowing him to climb onto its back.

"Rayden, what's going on?"

"Orion, an enemy was here just now—a flying dark creature!"

"An Alpha-level dark creature?"

"Yes, Orion!"

The thunderhawk, Rayden, didn't share the same bond with Orion as the abyssal dragon. Their relationship was based on an equal contract, so Rayden addressed Orion by name.

"Do you know which direction it went?"

"I do!"

"Let's chase it down and see what kind of dark creature it is!"

The thunderhawk flapped its wings rapidly, accelerating as it soared into the sky.

However, just as they left the boundaries of Blackstone City, the thunderhawk suddenly stopped.

"Orion, something's wrong. Our territory is shrouded in a strange mist!"

Orion frowned deeply.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Rayden, but he couldn't see any mist himself.

"Rayden, are you sure there's a mist over our territory?"

"Yes. Can't you see it?"

Orion fell silent. The thunderhawk's vision was undoubtedly different from that of a giant. Just because he couldn't see the mist didn't mean it wasn't there.

"Rayden, use your lightning ability to illuminate the sky!"

"As you wish!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The thunderhawk didn't hesitate. Lightning surged across its body, and bolts of electricity lit up the sky, illuminating all of Blackstone City.

Orion's eyes widened in shock as he witnessed an incredible sight.

Wherever the lightning passed, something in the sky seemed to ignite, turning the entire heavens into a ghostly blue hue.

As the eerie blue light faded, a shimmering, star-like substance began to fall from the sky. The glowing particles were beautiful, like a cascade of starlight.

"Orion, it's over there!"

Just as Orion was marveling at the strange phenomenon, Rayden's voice broke through his thoughts.

Following Rayden's gaze, Orion spotted a massive butterfly in the distance, fluttering with an eerie, erratic flight pattern as it moved away from Blackstone City.

"Chase it!"

Orion readied a trident as the thunderhawk let out a sharp cry and surged forward in pursuit.

---

As they closed the distance, Orion studied the massive butterfly.

The creature was entirely black, its enormous wings releasing tendrils of dark mist with every beat. The sight was both mesmerizing and unsettling.

"Orion, the mist over our territory is coming from its wings!"

As they drew closer, Orion could finally make out the butterfly's full appearance.

It was enormous, with a wingspan of at least 60 feet. Its body was supported by three pairs of scythe-like legs, each one sharp and menacing.

Orion didn't know the creature's true name, so he decided to call it the Dark Butterfly for now.

"Get a little closer. It's almost within my extended attack range!"

The thunderhawk flapped its wings harder, increasing its speed.

---

Whoosh!

Orion hurled his trident with all his might. The weapon tore through the air with a deafening whistle, aimed directly at the Dark Butterfly.

But the expected impact never came.

Just as the trident was about to strike, the Dark Butterfly turned its head and looked directly at Orion.

In the darkness, its eyes glimmered with a mocking light.

Boom!

Suddenly, the Dark Butterfly dissolved into a cloud of black smoke, vanishing without a trace.

The trident continued its trajectory, disappearing into the unknown darkness beyond.

"Damn it! We've been tricked! The dark creatures must be attacking the city while we're away!"

"Rayden, take us back!"

---

When Orion returned to Blackstone City, the scene he had feared didn't materialize.

The city was calm. Bloodline warriors were rotating shifts on the walls, and Orion could see Onyx, Rendall, Lilith, Thundar, and Delilah gazing up at the sky.

"Rayden, circle the city and use your lightning to illuminate the area again!"

"Understood, Orion!"

Still uneasy, Orion ordered the thunderhawk to release another wave of lightning as they circled Blackstone City.

The members of the horde watched in awe as the sky above the city lit up with dazzling lightning, accompanied by deafening thunder.

But even after completing a full circuit, Orion and Rayden found nothing.

The Dark Butterfly had vanished as if it had never existed.