Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

"Elders Slate and Samson have been defending our tribe ever since my father was chieftain. Their accomplishments speak for themselves."

"After I took over, they followed me on our southern invasions, building up more and more victories along the way."

"They've fought in every major clash—from the dark beast tides to our reprisal campaigns—never missing a single front line."

"These rewards are well-deserved."

With a wave of Orion's hand, the remaining two wooden boxes landed in Slate and Samson's hands.

"For my Lord, I, Slate, am willing to die on the battlefield, giving every last drop of blood!"

"So am I," Samson chimed in.

Orion raised a calming hand, gesturing for the two elders—who had stood up in their excitement—to sit back down. They were giants from the Blackstone tribe, and Orion was genuinely pleased to see them receive Alpha-level resources.

Someone else, however, seemed even happier than Orion. Since the moment Onyx announced Slate and Samson's names, Rendall had worn a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

Though Slate and Samson were relatively young, they'd served as part of the select few elders from the tribe in years past. They had once hunted side by side with Rendall, fought back-to-back against dark creatures, and accompanied Orion into battle. Watching the rise of Elder Slate and Elder Samson gave Rendall a special kind of joy.

As the wooden boxes were handed out, the discussions in the room gradually faded until falling silent. Orion remained seated on the throne, taking in the calm. After a few moments, the hush was almost unbroken.

"The dark beast tides are over, but we're now facing two new possibilities: either we invade or defend ourselves against an invasion."

"In other words, my fellow elders, we can't afford to let our guard down."

"Effective immediately, all our armies are to reorganize, bolster armed readiness, and stay alert for any potential fight."

As lord, Orion knew his people and these horde bloodline warriors had only one road ahead: perpetual battle or preparing for it. Of course, children, the elderly, and civilians of every race in the horde would remain protected, their basic needs guaranteed.

"Also, get the damaged sections of the outer walls repaired as soon as possible."

"And on the ridge in Moonshadow Valley, build some towers and watchposts!"

"… …"

Orion rattled off a series of urgent tasks, then handed the rest of the meeting over to the four senior elders. It was not until evening that the discussions concluded and everyone began filing out of the Horde Hall.

Only the Alpha-level powerhouses stayed behind—or, more precisely, had the right to remain.

Orion usually saved the biggest matters for last, to give these heavyweights some advance notice. Even Spider Queen Lorelia didn't hurry back to her underground fissure this time; she quietly waited for Orion to speak.

Looking around at his core leaders, Orion's expression softened.

"This year, I won't be heading south to invade."

"We still need time to develop and build our strength."

As soon as Orion said that, Onyx, Thundar, Slagor, Earthshaker, and others—those who relished a good fight—looked deflated. They had been all-in on the idea of another invasion.

"As for that Glacial Dragon in the northern ice plains, we're not sure whether it'll attack us or not. We'll have to wait and see."

"I've already sent the thunderhawk to scout our borders, so we'll have news soon."

"Regardless of whether Lord Jorik invades our territory, we need to be battle-ready."

"Because I plan to take some of you on a cross-realm invasion."

A cross-realm invasion was a whole new concept to the elders. They frowned in unison, each looking deeply puzzled.

Orion scanned them but didn't elaborate just yet. Instead, he started talking about the winter invasion of dark creatures.

"My disappearance this time was to defend the void passage."

"Our world is called the Titanion Realm, but how vast it truly is, I'm not sure yet."

"What I do know is that this realm definitely has demigods, and possibly even gods."

"Our world is locked in a divine war against a place called the Emerald Dream Realm, and the dark beast tides are part of their invasion strategy."

"That's the real source of the dark beast tides."

This shocking revelation was something Orion had carefully decided to reveal. Because of his connection to the Champions Alliance, he'd be interacting more often with them.
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He needed his subordinates to broaden their horizons too. Otherwise, when they eventually invaded other worlds, they might miss out on precious resources and artifacts.

Orion looked around. Most elders remained speechless; some muttered under their breath, seemingly trying to process it all.

"Lord, are you saying these dark creatures really come from another realm?"

Onyx was the first to snap out of his shock enough to speak.

Orion flipped his hand, revealing an Alpha-level dark source crystal.

"The reason dark source crystals can power us up is, in my understanding, because they hold a trace of world essence."

"The dark creatures' invasion of our realm is fundamentally about stealing that essence."

As Orion spoke, the other elders refocused on him.

"So, resources like dark source crystals are the very things we're going to steal for ourselves during future invasions. They're our most vital and valuable prizes."

"They don't just strengthen you—they strengthen me as well."

Having set the stage, Orion moved on to the matter of the cross-realm invasion.

"While guarding that void passage, I made some friends. We agreed to invade a certain godforsaken land together."

"The enemies there will be powerful—mostly unknown to you, and likely all hostile."

"It's high risk, high reward. You have to be ready to die far from home."

Orion himself wasn't sure just how dangerous that godforsaken land might be. But the fact that Leonidas wanted to bring Arthas along at least suggested it wouldn't be a stroll in the park. Still, that meant there was a decent shot at success.

"Lord, for this cross-realm invasion, are you going to lead the charge personally?"

Rendall was concerned about Orion's safety—and, by extension, the horde's.

"Yes. I'm going myself."

Rendall's brow furrowed, his face darkening noticeably.

"In that case, Lord, what if Jorik and Gareth attack us the moment you leave?"

Orion wasn't sure how to respond. That question loomed over his own thoughts.

What he did know was that, during Gareth's two southern invasions, Lord Jorik in the north had never once tried to raid Gareth's lair—a puzzle Orion still hadn't solved.

It wasn't until he reached Legendary level that a certain theory had begun to form in his mind, one he would need to confirm by speaking directly with Gareth.