Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Orion led Lilith and Lysinthia into the largest tent in the Horde, with everyone's eyes on them.

This meeting was more formal than usual. Beneath Orion's throne, an additional seat had been placed—Lilith's personal seat.

Since Orion's status had risen, Lilith's status soared accordingly. Though Lilith was an Alpha-level fighter before, she officially had no seat in previous councils. She simply stood behind Orion.

But now everything was different. Orion was the Giant King, and regardless of Lilith's raw power, the core leadership of the Horde had to make a place for her. It was a matter of respect toward a wife and, by extension, respect for Orion himself.

Also, for the first time, even the Lysinthia had her own seat. Having risen to Alpha level, she was placed after the four senior elders, next to Spider Queen Lorelia and Rockwell.

After guiding Lilith to her seat, Orion finally took his place on the throne. As soon as he sat, a surge of Legendary-level pressure radiated outward.

"Elders," Orion began, "the Stoneheart Horde wouldn't be here today without your tireless, dedicated efforts—and your willingness to shed blood in battle."

He gave the Horde's current successes to everyone, though it went without saying that every person there knew how big a role Orion himself had played.

"All of your struggles, all your hard work—none of it was wasted. Our Stoneheart Horde is witnessing a springtime of possibilities, our independence, and our freedom.

"I, Orion Stoneheart, Giant King and lord of the Black Forest, promise my people: as long as you remain loyal, brave, and unafraid of death, I will look among you for those who are most outstanding. And together, we will share every inch of land we conquer."

It was a massive promise, like a celebratory banquet where everyone got a piece of the cake.
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It was also Orion's way of binding the elders to the Horde in both interests and heritage—using land grants as the connecting thread. Giving subordinates the right to rule over territory and develop its resources was undoubtedly the path forward, even if Orion wasn't implementing that plan immediately. Nothing, however, stopped him from presenting that grand vision now.

"Mighty lord!"

"Giant King!"

"…"

Everyone cheered over Orion's promise until he raised a hand, signaling for silence.

"There's one more thing," he said. "From this day onward, the Horde gains a new Warden: Lysinthia!"

Turning their full attention to Lysinthia, the crowd watched her rise and release a flash of Alpha-level power, making her position known.

"According to custom," Orion went on, "we'll celebrate for three days—no shortage of food and drink, and bonfires through every night!"

At those words, the tent exploded with laughter and excited chatter. Lysinthia's promotion to Alpha-level had caused some commotion before, but everything had been overshadowed by Orion's lightning storm and his one-day disappearance.

Indeed, Lilith, Onyx, and the others had been so worried that no one felt like celebrating. Hearing the news now, though, the elders—who had more or less suspected it—broke out in cheers anyway.

If Orion's breakthrough to Legendary level was a major victory for the Horde overall, then Lysinthia's success was a big deal for the elders' personal interests. Especially for the eight council elders, who stood closest to Alpha caliber themselves, this new milestone had their rapt attention.

"Despite my new rank," Orion continued, "our Stoneheart Horde's foundations are still thin. Among the nearby territories, we're likely the weakest of them all.

"Which means, Elders, that we have a lot to do and a tough road ahead. Our bloodline warriors don't have armor that's sturdy enough or weapons sharp enough. Our stable of beasts is nowhere near mass scale. And our Blackstone City is still underdeveloped, far behind somewhere like Stormrage City in the south…

"…"

He took the opportunity to outline the Horde's future direction and explain how it compared to the southern cities. He also used the moment to issue a number of appointments and directives.

For example, Orion officially established the long-hoped-for Bureau of Weapons. He put Rockwell, an Alpha-level fighter, in charge for the prestige and clout. Meanwhile, two council elders—Earthshaker and Desdemona—would serve as his hands-on deputies.

Half a day later, when the council meeting concluded and only the Alpha-level powerhouses remained in the tent, Orion spoke again.

"Elders, in at most half a month, Slagor of Poison Dragon Swamp will show up with his tribe. Right now, Blackstone City's too small. We need to reconsider how it's laid out."

As usual, Orion tossed out the challenge, got their attention, and then presented his ideas.

"My thought is this: let's keep the current Blackstone City as it is. But I want to build another city wall outside the city and enclose a larger area around it for room to grow.

"From here on, Blackstone City can't just house the races we already have. We need to make room for the lizardfolk and possibly the Thunderstorm Bearmen tribe, as well as any other races that pledge allegiance to us in the future."

He cast his gaze at Onyx, Rendall, Delilah, Thundar, Lilith, Lysinthia, Rockwell, and Lorelia—eight Alpha-level fighters who were intimately tied to the fate of the Horde.

"Besides expanding, I also want to renovate," Orion declared.

He placed some rolled-up hides on the table for everyone to see.

"We still lack a ton of things if we want the Horde to truly take off."

Onyx and Delilah were especially interested. They stepped forward to pick up a few of the hides and study them carefully.

"Lord," Onyx said, "are these building plans?"

Orion nodded, somewhat pleasantly surprised Onyx recognized what they were.

"Lord, do these buildings have special functions—like that eagle's nest in Thunderwood Forest?"

Onyx asked because he had heard of certain unique structures with unusual powers. For instance, there was said to be a strange eagle's nest perched atop Thunderpeak Mountain in Thunderwood Forest; harpies apparently gained their flight from that mysterious nest.

Orion gave a faint smile, nodding once more. Seeing that, everyone looked elated, hurrying over to the table to examine the blueprints.