Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

The death of the Alpha-level flying beast seemed to signal a shift.

The CutterSaur beast tide, as if released from some unseen control, began to scatter, fleeing to either side of Moonshadow Valley. After Orion and the Abyss Dragon's devastating attacks, the CutterSaurs no longer dared to approach the valley.

An hour later, the battle outside Moonshadow Valley had completely ceased.

The bloodline warriors of the Stoneheart Horde began the grim task of cleaning up the battlefield. They dissected the CutterSaur corpses, extracting meat and crystal cores.

---

Inside a temporary tent, Orion sat in the main seat, enjoying a massage from Lilith and Lysinthia.

Prophet Onyx, Thundar, Earthshaker, and Rendall had already taken their seats, waiting for Delilah to arrive.

Cleaning up the battlefield was part of Delilah's responsibilities as the Elder of Stewardship, so everyone was waiting for her.

Moments later, a guard announced her arrival, and Delilah entered the tent, lifting the flap as she stepped inside.

Orion gestured for her to take her seat, then straightened up himself. Lilith and Lysinthia stopped their massage and stood quietly behind him.

Without saying a word, Orion reached into his Bagbird pouch and pulled out a wooden box.

The box emitted a faint, exotic fragrance, made from a rare type of wood found in the Black Forest. Most importantly, this type of box was known to preserve the elemental energy of magical potions and crystal cores, preventing them from dissipating.

"Inside this box is the crystal core of the Alpha-level beast we killed. As you saw, it has an affinity for lightning."

"After Prophet Onyx's identification, we've confirmed that the beast was an Alpha-level Thunderhawk."

Orion's mood was visibly good, even better than when he had successfully killed the Thunderhawk.

This was because the Alpha-level Thunderhawk was very likely the mount of Thunderhawk Knight Reynard, the one responsible for killing Orion's sister, Clymene.

Both Orion and Elder Rendall wore smiles of satisfaction—smiles that spoke of long-awaited vengeance, at least in part.

No one spoke. All eyes were fixed on the wooden box in front of Orion.

Everyone understood that one of them would soon be the lucky recipient of this powerful item.

Orion scanned the room, then spoke in a firm, commanding tone that left no room for argument.

"My principle is simple: resources go to those who can use them best, and talents are put to their fullest potential."

"However, before we unified the Black Forest, during last winter's dark beast tides, I promised the Elder of Discipline that the next Alpha-level crystal core would go to him."

At these words, disappointment flashed across the faces of all the elders, except for Rendall.

Orion gently pushed the wooden box toward Rendall, who caught it in his trembling hands.

"Orion… I… I…"

Rendall, usually so straightforward and bold, was now trembling, his voice shaky, completely unlike his usual self. Your journey continues with empire

"Rendall, what's yours is yours. No one can take it from you."

Orion's voice was cold, with a hint of threat, making it clear that this decision was final.

Prophet Onyx sighed, the disappointment on his face fading as he accepted the reality.

Delilah remained silent, her own disappointment flickering briefly before disappearing. But in her mind, countless thoughts began to swirl.

"I'm one of Orion's women, right? And I'm also the Stewardship Elder!"

"If I didn't get it this time, will I get it next time?"

"And if I don't get it next time, what about the time after that?"

"When will I finally get an Alpha-level crystal core?"

"An Alpha-level core… it's so valuable…"

"Maybe… I should try harder to please Orion?"

"Next time we're lovemaking, maybe I should be more… proactive. I know some special techniques… I should use them on him…"

Delilah was smart, but sometimes, the smarter someone was, the more they overthought things.

Orion observed the emotions of the elders, reading their expressions in the brief moments of silence.

Once he saw that they had accepted the situation and their emotions had settled, he continued speaking.

"You must all understand something: this is an Alpha-level crystal core, not an Alpha-level dark source crystal. The energy it contains is not as pure as a dark source crystal."

"Elder of Discipline will need to combine it with magical potions and use special rituals to safely absorb the core."

"Whether or not he can advance to Alpha-level is still uncertain."

Orion's words were meant to temper the excitement that had clouded the elders' judgment, reminding them of the risks involved.

"And this is a lightning-element core. Its energy is extremely volatile and dangerous."

"Rendall, you need to think carefully."

Rendall nodded, saying nothing, but Orion could see the determination in his eyes.

Seeing this, Orion didn't press further and continued.

"As I said, resources go to those who can use them best."

"The next Alpha-level crystal core or Alpha-level dark source crystal will go to the Elder of Prophecy."

This statement once again dashed the hopes of Thundar, Earthshaker, and Delilah.

Prophet Onyx's eyes, which had dimmed with disappointment, now lit up with renewed hope. He looked at Orion in disbelief.

"The reason is simple: Prophet's strength surpasses all of yours."

"I'm confident that whether it's an Alpha-level crystal core or a dark source crystal, Prophet will be able to advance to Alpha-level with either."

"One last reminder: my principle is to use resources where they will be most effective."

Orion glanced at the disappointed Thundar, Earthshaker, and Delilah, then turned to Lilith and Lysinthia.

"The same goes for you two. If you want to advance, you'll have to work for it."

"All rare resources will be given to the horde members who show the most potential."

"Of course, the prerequisite is that they must have proven themselves in battle and be 100% loyal to the Stoneheart Horde."

Orion took a sip of water to soothe his throat before continuing to outline his plans.

"Also, Alpha-level resources will only be available to elders for now."

"After Prophet, the next elder who is closest to Alpha-level will be the next in line."

"And from now on, the order of receiving Alpha-level resources will follow this sequence."

Taking this opportunity, Orion formalized part of his reward system, which had been one of his plans.

He hadn't brought it up in previous council meetings because the reward system lacked credibility, and the rewards themselves weren't impressive enough.

Orion knew that emotional bonds between horde members were important for unity.

But he also understood that only shared interests could truly bind people together. Only when everyone's interests aligned would they work as one.

So, Orion dangled a tempting future in front of them.

"If the Elder of Discipline successfully advances to Alpha-level, I'm confident that together, we'll be able to hunt another Alpha-level dark creature during this year's dark beast tides."

"When that happens, Prophet will also advance to Alpha-level!"

"And what about after that?"

"Next year, we'll do it again. And the year after that…"

Orion's voice was filled with a seductive allure, drawing everyone in.

Inside the tent, the elders—Prophet Onyx, Thundar, Earthshaker, Delilah, Lilith, and Lysinthia—were all captivated by the future Orion was painting.