Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Szzzch!

Tiny arcs of lightning flickered across Orion's forehead, crackling with otherworldly power. The Lord's Stone he held had just fused into his body, catching him completely off guard. Everything happened so fast, he barely had time to react.

In truth, during the previous battle, Orion had devoured Lord Ariel's lightning form as the Dark Titan. That rampant energy had raged inside him, yet his body had adapted to Ariel's power. This was the fundamental reason the Lord's Stone merged with him so smoothly.

"Well, talk about a freebie," Orion muttered, still in disbelief.

Now that the Lord's Stone was a part of him, all he had to do was restore his attributes to their old peak. Then he could tap into transcendent power and attempt the Legendary level breakthrough.

––––––––

By the next morning, fighting in Stormrage City had finally subsided. When Orion stepped into the palace's main hall, four Alpha-level fighters—Lilith, Onyx, Thundar, and Slagor—were already waiting for him.

"Chieftain!"

"My dear Orion!"

He nodded, motioning for them to take their seats before he assumed the head of the table.

Truth be told, none of them had slept last night; they were too keyed up. Everyone had watched Orion slay Lord Ariel with their own eyes, and even now, they wondered if it was all just some fever dream.

Battles with alpha-grade beasts used to feel epic, but last night's clash with Lord Ariel ended in a heartbeat—way too sudden, far beyond anything they had ever imagined. In their minds, Orion still loomed like a roaring Titan god.

For Slagor especially, last night was a roller coaster. He'd gone from planning to flee to utter disbelief when Lord Ariel fell—like he'd lived a lifetime in one evening.

"Slagor," Orion said, "I'm giving you two choices. The first is surrender. The second is death."

His words came abruptly but didn't exactly surprise anyone. Slagor lifted his gaze, meeting Orion's eyes. What he saw was utter confidence… and icy detachment.

"So… do I really have a choice?" Slagor answered with a wry grin, his expression full of bitter resignation. As a sharp-witted lizardman, he knew he had to pick between Orion and Lord Gareth. Given the current situation, there was really no choice at all.

"I, Slagor, Chieftain of the Lizardmen of Poison Dragon Swamp, pledge my allegiance to Orion!"

Orion stood from his seat, condensing a droplet-shaped slave contract in his right hand. He approached Slagor, who did nothing to resist. Moments later, the pact was sealed and Slagor became one of Orion's own.

Returning to his place at the head of the table, Orion shifted focus to his wife, Lilith, and asked the question he cared about most:

"How's Thunderhawk Rayden?"

Thunderhawk Rayden had taken a direct hit from Lord Ariel, leaving its feathers scorched beyond recognition. At the time, Orion wasn't even sure the creature would survive.

"With help from the shamans, plus some dark source crystals, it's alive," Lilith replied softly. "But we have no idea when—or if—it'll regain the strength to fight or even fly."

In other words, Rayden's injuries were severe. For now, the thunderhawk might as well be grounded; it wouldn't be taking part in any battles anytime soon.

"Have the shamans look after it," Orion said with a sigh. "We'll take it back when we leave. Eventually, I'll figure out a way to get Rayden back in fighting shape."

"Understood." Lilith nodded, then signaled a succubus bloodline warrior to carry out the task.

"Next," Orion continued, "we'll hole up in Stormrage City and wait for Lord Gareth to arrive."

All eyes lit up at these words: Lilith, Onyx, Thundar, and Slagor leaned forward as if expecting more. Then Thundar asked the question on everyone's mind:

"Chieftain, shouldn't we seize the opportunity to swiftly return to Blackstone City?"

Struck by confusion, he couldn't understand why they wouldn't just steer clear of Gareth. If Orion had taken any injuries in that showdown with Ariel, now was not the time to butt heads with yet another Legendary-level foe.

Orion looked around at the apprehensive faces. Slagor, Lilith, and Onyx shared the same concern—they were all hoping to steer clear of Gareth, at least for the moment.

"No," Orion said, shaking his head. "If I were Lord Gareth, I'd march straight into Black Forest if need be, just to confirm whether Ariel really was killed. We can't run. The only way is to meet her head-on and let her see we're not shaking in our boots."

As an Alpha-level giant capable of taking down a Legendary-level being like Ariel, Orion knew Gareth would never believe it without proof. Besides, she would also be aware of the existence of the Lord's Stone—otherwise, she wouldn't have reached Legendary-level status herself.

"Before Gareth shows up, I want you all to strip Stormrage City of every resource you can lay your hands on," he ordered. "And stay on high alert. If it comes to a fight, make sure you're not caught off guard."

At that, Slagor, Lilith, Onyx, and Thundar practically glowed with excitement. Orion's demeanor radiated a powerful message: even against Lord Gareth, he wouldn't flinch.

Of course, in truth, it was all part of the same bluff Orion himself was trying to believe. His body was still weak, and his fighting capacity was nowhere near ready to brawl with another Legendary. But if you can fool yourself, you can fool everyone else.

"The Thunderstorm Bearmen who remain in the city—apart from the elderly and children—will be integrated into the cannon fodder troops," he went on. "Let Dirtclaw handle it. Make sure those bearmen cooperate."

Thunderstorm Bearmen were outstanding frontline warriors. Adding them to the cannon fodder troops would give Orion's forces a serious boost.

"Also, Stormrage City is rich in Blood Mushrooms. Keep an eye out and gather them all up. Don't leave a single one behind."

They were conquerors here, so they might as well act like it.

"Chieftain, what about us?" Slagor ventured timidly. In truth, he was itching to know how Orion planned to handle the lizardmen now that he'd sworn fealty.

"You?" Orion replied. "Just carry on like normal."

Slagor frowned at that. He couldn't quite parse what Orion meant by "carry on like normal."

"Is Orion sending me back under Gareth's command—to be a spy?" The thought alone made him shiver. He couldn't suppress a deep sense of dread.