Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Orion shook his head, smiling. "I may be much larger than you, but I'm sure that doesn't mean much."

Leonidas roared with laughter again. He stepped forward, circled Orion twice, and then said, "You can call me Alexander, but I prefer Leonidas."

Orion nodded, reintroducing himself. "Orion is my current name."

"I think I'll stick with Hulk," Leonidas replied with a grin.

Orion simply nodded. Names were just labels, relics of the past, something to reminisce about, at best.

"Bro, what about you?" Orion turned to Arthas, who was also quite tall, standing at around ten feet.

"Just call me Arthas. I've grown accustomed to it."

Orion nodded, memorizing Arthas's appearance.

Arthas then asked, "Where's your Ghostbone Armor?"

"It was destroyed in my last encounter with a Legendary-level enemy," Orion replied.

Arthas nodded. He hadn't sensed the aura of the Ghostbone Armor on Orion. He'd initially assumed Orion had chosen not to wear it.

"I suppose I'm your guide of sorts. A little something for our first meeting." Arthas handed Orion a bone bead, crystalline and translucent, with a blood-red shimmer within.

Orion accepted the bead without hesitation. The moment it touched his hand, it bonded with him, transforming into a suit of blood-red bone armor that covered his body.

"I forged this from the remains of a Legendary-level bone dragon I killed."

"This Ghostbone Armor is complete, but any further improvements are up to you." Arthas watched Orion intently as he spoke. This was a valuable gift, a sign of goodwill.

Orion clapped Arthas on the shoulder in thanks, then looked around curiously. "Where's Kraken?" He hadn't seen him since arriving.

"Squiddy's a deep-sea creature. His drop-off point is different. He's not here."

"I've already given him his assignment and the location of his battlefield. He has the easiest job of the lot." Leonidas led the way, explaining as they walked.

The sight of the relatively massive Orion and Arthas trailing behind the diminutive Leonidas was somewhat comical, yet strangely elegant.

They entered a temporary tent. Leonidas approached a sand table and gestured towards it. "Take a look. This shows the general geography of the Godforsaken Land."

Orion examined the sand table. It depicted a square continent, riddled with craters and surrounded by floating islands. The most prominent island was to the northwest, as if a corner of the continent had been broken off. That was Kraken's designated area of operation.

Leonidas hopped onto the sand table, crouched at the edge, and pointed to a spot. "Here's where we are now."

The spot he indicated lit up, and a miniature lion roared repeatedly, the sound faint yet incredibly realistic.

"There are three arch lords on this continent. They rule here, here, and here." He pointed to the western, central, and southern regions of the continent. Three red stars appeared on the map, flashing before transforming into human figures: two night elves and a goblin.

"Hulk, arch lords are powerful. You don't need to face them directly. You're responsible for clearing the eastern region."

"Three Legendary-level lords reside there: a night elf, a goblin, and a corrupted human." Leonidas looked up, his tone serious.

"Roar… Hulk, I must warn you. The humans in this world are not like the humans of our old world."

"In fact, any human you encounter from now on will be different from the humans we knew."

"Do you understand?"

Orion nodded, gazing at the eastern region of the sand table, his voice flat. "I understand. I won't show them any mercy."

"Their lives are of no concern to me."

"I have compassion, but it has its limits."

"I am the King of Giants. Any enemy that stands in my way will be destroyed." Orion made his stance clear. He wouldn't let any lingering sympathy or sense of kinship hinder him.

"Roar… Good."

"My friend, remember, this is a new world, a vast and wondrous world!" Leonidas glanced at Arthas, as if to say, "Alright, mate, my part's done. Your turn."

"Answer my summons, my servant…!" Arthas's raspy voice echoed through the tent. A robed skeletal lord entered and stood motionless behind Arthas.

"This is my subordinate, Rumbold, a skeleton general."

"There are three lords in the eastern region. I'm sending him with 200,000 skeleton warriors to help you clear it."

"Any objections?" Arthas looked directly at Orion, his dark, crimson eye sockets radiating an oppressive aura. This was a test of both Orion's courage and his strength. Two against three.

"None," Orion replied calmly. Even in a direct confrontation, two against three wasn't an insurmountable challenge.

"You're in charge of this operation. Rumbold will assist you and follow your orders."

As Arthas finished speaking, Rumbold raised his weapon in a salute to Orion.

Orion responded by thumping his chest, a giant's salute. After the exchange, Rumbold left the tent.

"Hulk, I'll also provide you with a small pack of black wolves. They know the terrain and can serve as your guides."

Orion nodded again, silently accepting the arrangements.

Since entering the tent, Orion had unknowingly been placed in a subordinate position by the two arch lords, Leonidas and Arthas.

With Orion's assignment finalized, Leonidas pointed to the center of the sand table. "Boney McBoneface, there's a massive tree here, suspected to be a World Tree sapling."

"However, according to scout reports, it's withered and dead, devoid of any magical energy."

"I suspect its essence was extracted by some demigod or god."

"That's what led to the decline of this world, turning it into a godforsaken land."

Arthas stared at the center of the sand table, his aura and expression unchanged.

After a moment, he spoke in his raspy voice. "You're suggesting we set up the Source Siphon Array there?"

"Indeed, at this very spot." Leonidas nodded, barked like a small dog, and continued, "The location where the World Tree grew should be the heart of this godforsaken land, the ideal place for the array."

"Once Hulk clears the eastern region, he can join us here!"

"Oh, and Hulk, keep an eye on the public channel. We'll communicate there."

Arthas considered this for a moment, then nodded without objection.

"Then let the invasion begin!"

"Let it begin!"

"Alright!"

Both Arthas and Orion agreed and left the tent.

Rumbold was waiting outside. Arthas gestured towards him and said to Orion, "Your troops will lead the first wave of attacks. After that, Rumbold will charge ahead."

Orion nodded, understanding the implication, though he couldn't be certain.

Moments later, an Alpha-level black wolf approached Orion, bowed low, and spoke in a human voice. "By my master's command, Three-Tails is here to assist you, my lord."

The wolf had three tails, as its name suggested.

Orion couldn't help but marvel. The beasts in Leonidas's territory had embarked on a path of civilization. Unlike other races, they didn't strive to attain human form. Instead, they focused on developing their physical potential.

Leonidas himself was a prime example. He could have transformed into a human, but he chose to remain in his current form, even if it made him resemble a large, yellow dog.

"I'll be relying on you both for this invasion," Orion said politely to Rumbold and Three-Tails. They were representatives of Arthas and Leonidas, not his direct subordinates, so he couldn't simply order them around.

"For my master, I am willing to give my all! My lord instructed me to assist you, and I will do so wholeheartedly." Rumbold raised his weapon in a salute, his demeanor polite and respectful. He was there to help Orion, not hinder him. Of course, he was also there to gather intelligence and assess Orion's strength.

"My lord, I will guide you," Three-Tails added, howling softly.

Orion summoned his abyssal dragon and mounted it. He needed to maintain appearances. Riding a mount was a symbol of status.

Roar!

The abyssal dragon let out a low growl and lumbered towards the sinkhole, carrying Orion on its back.

Outside the tent, Leonidas reappeared beside Arthas. "Boney McBoneface, what do you think of Orion?"

Arthas didn't answer, gazing at the sky. A black sun hung in the sky of the Godforsaken Land, a comforting presence for undead creatures.

"What a waste of a perfectly good world."

"Woof!" Leonidas barked, annoyed by Arthas's non-answer. "Tell me what you think! I trust your judgment!"

Arthas nudged Leonidas, who looked like a large yellow dog, with his foot. "Sensible, pragmatic, knows his place. Lacks ambition, though. Difficult to say what his future holds."

Arthas glanced at the departing abyssal dragon. This was his first time meeting Orion, and he'd gained a deeper understanding of the ally he'd helped cultivate.

"Woof… I disagree. I smell hidden killer instinct on him."

"He may have been quiet in the tent, asking no questions, but he's sharp."

Arthas didn't respond, turning to walk towards his skeletal army. "Let's move out. Let's see what the arch lord in the central region is made of!"

"My blade thirsts for arch lord blood!"

"Woof!"

Leonidas barked and quickened his pace, falling into step beside Arthas.

Within the sinkhole, a large contingent of the Stoneheart Horde's forces waited impatiently for Orion's arrival. The pressure from the numerous Alpha-level and four Legendary-level auras in the surrounding area was almost suffocating.

Roar!

The familiar roar of a dragon echoed from afar. The unmistakable aura of an abyssal dragon.

"It's Orion!"

"Our lord!"

Whispers of excitement rippled through the ranks. Orion's arrival was a morale booster, a reminder that they weren't inferior.

Orion himself had been apprehensive during his journey. His allies were powerful.

Besides the hundreds of Alpha-level individuals, there were four other Legendary-level auras. Leonidas had brought two Legendary-level subordinates of his own. Orion was truly astounded.

The abyssal dragon landed at the edge of the sinkhole. Orion addressed the skeleton general beside him. "General Rumbold, will 400,000 cave spider cannon fodder be enough for the first wave?"

This wasn't false modesty. Orion knew his forces were no match for Leonidas's or Arthas's. Rumbold, as Arthas's confidant, must have received specific instructions.

"Lord Orion, your troops are well-organized and easily commanded. The number is sufficient."

"I will deploy 100,000 skeleton warriors to support your forces."

The first part was flattery. "Well-organized" also meant simple and predictable, easily countered. The second part was the key, the reason for Rumbold's presence. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire