Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

As dawn broke, Orion left the tent, his guards following closely behind. He made his way to the central square of Blackstone City, where the horde's younglings were training.

The sight before him was lively and full of energy. Giant children, succubi, Buffalofolk, Obsidian Golems, and Gnolls—all the younglings from the various tribes—were gathered together, their laughter and shouts filling the air. Their presence brought a vibrant sense of life to the horde.

At some point, the instructors for these younglings had become the Hero-level warriors from each tribe. Every child had the opportunity to learn from other races' instructors, gaining an understanding of their own strengths while also recognizing their weaknesses.

"Chieftain, you're here!" Rendall greeted Orion warmly as he approached, standing beside him to watch the younglings train.

"Elder, were these instructors your arrangement or Delilah's?" Orion asked, his gaze fixed on the bustling training grounds.

"It was the Stewardship Elder's idea," Rendall replied, clearly impressed. He hadn't expected Delilah's plan of rotating elite instructors from different tribes to yield such excellent results.

A few days ago, Rendall had taken it upon himself to teach the younglings and had discovered several promising talents. He had already recommended them to the appropriate mentors.

"Chieftain, wait here. I'll bring the boy who wants to learn the trident and spear to meet you!" Rendall said with a grin.

Orion nodded, signaling that he would wait.

Moments later, Rendall returned, leading a young giant boy with a single braid tied atop his head.

"Chieftain, this is him—Rolan. He'll be five years old soon!"

Orion studied the boy. His bright eyes sparkled with determination, and his unique braid gave him a distinct look.

"I hear you want to learn the trident and spear from me?" Orion asked.

"Yes, Chieftain! I want to become a great hero like you!" Rolan replied, his voice filled with youthful enthusiasm.

Orion's lips curled into a faint smile. "Rendall tells me you're naturally strong?"

"Yes, Chieftain! I can beat all the other younglings in the horde!" Rolan declared proudly.

Orion chuckled softly, amused by the boy's confidence. It seemed Rolan had picked up Rendall's habit of calling his peers "younglings."

After a moment of thought, Orion retrieved his old Bloodthirsty Trident, a weapon he had long since outgrown. He drove it deep into the ground before Rolan.

"Rolan, if you can pull this trident out, you can come to me to learn how to wield it."

Orion's smile carried a hint of challenge and expectation. However, Rolan's response caught him off guard.

"Chieftain, if I pull it out, does that mean the trident is mine as a reward?"

Rendall's eyes widened, and he was about to scold the boy for his audacity, but Orion raised a hand to stop him.

"Yes," Orion said with a grin. "If you can pull it out, the trident is yours."

"But I'll add a condition. If you can't pull it out before winter arrives and the first snow falls, don't bother coming to me. And the trident? I'll give it to the bravest bloodline warrior in the horde."

"Dace, spread the word—this challenge applies to all younglings under six in the horde!"

Orion's laughter was hearty and infectious. To motivate the younglings, he was willing to part with a treasure. The Bloodthirsty Trident was a Hero-level weapon, for the Stoneheart Horde, it was a rare and valuable artifact.

Rolan glanced at Rendall, who gave no objection, then turned back to Orion. With determination in his eyes, he stepped forward and gripped the trident. He strained with all his might, but despite his best efforts, the weapon didn't budge an inch.

Orion wasn't surprised. Smiling, he turned and began walking back to his tent.

---

"Orion, is it true? The whole horde is saying you're planning to take on a disciple!"

As soon as Orion entered the tent, Lilith approached him, helping him remove his cloak.

"I've thought about it," Orion admitted. "But for now, I just want to inspire the younglings. They're the future of the horde, after all."

He turned to say more, but before he could, Lysinthia and Violet entered, each carrying a bowl of water.

Orion paused, momentarily caught off guard, but quickly recovered. He extended both hands, taking the bowls from the two women and drinking them down in one go.

Lilith watched the subtle "competition" between Lysinthia and Violet with a calm expression, as if she hadn't noticed anything at all.

"Orion," Lilith said with a teasing smile, "why don't you try harder? Maybe we can give you a child of your own!"

Orion froze, his face darkening slightly. He was already spending every night with these women—how much harder could he try?

That said, it was true that none of the women he had been with, including Delilah, had conceived. Orion couldn't figure out why. He could only assume that cross-species reproduction was far more difficult than he had anticipated.

---

Tonight, Orion once again made love to his women in turn. Only after they had fallen asleep did he lie back on the animal hides and focus his thoughts on his status panel.

For the past few weeks, Orion had been consuming high-grade magical plants looted from Thunderwood Forest. Over time, his stats had steadily increased, and now they had reached a significant milestone.

- Strength: 4010/5000 (+8220)

- Agility: 3756/5000 (+236)

- Intelligence: 4001/5000 (+200)

- Constitution: 3825/5000 (+200)

- Resistance: 20% (against all negative states)

- Bloodline Purity: 72% (Titan)

Today, Orion's focus on his status panel was due to a breakthrough. After consuming the last of his high-grade magical plants, both his Strength and Intelligence had surpassed the 4000 mark—a significant achievement.

The downside, however, was that his stockpile of magical plants was now completely depleted.

"As expected, plundering is still the fastest way to grow stronger," Orion muttered to himself.

After studying his stats for a while, he shifted his attention to the Survivor's Platform. As usual, he initiated a trade with Aerin.

"Elf, it's time to trade."

Aerin wasted no time, as if afraid Orion might change his mind. She quickly sent over her stockpile of Pet Pills and mid-grade magical plants.

Only after the trade was complete did Aerin respond.

"Hulk, where have you been these past six months? I thought you were dead!"

"Working. Where else would I get the crystal cores to buy your Pet Pills?"

"Hulk, if you're planning to disappear for a long time again, could you at least let me know in advance? Honestly, I was a little worried about you."

Orion didn't reply, instead focusing on other matters.

---

Meanwhile, in the Forest of Nature, Aerin hummed a cheerful tune as she sorted through her newly acquired crystal cores. For some reason, reconnecting with Hulk had put her in an unusually good mood.

"This guy… He must have been out raiding again. There's no way he could have hunted this many crystal cores on his own!"

Still, Aerin was thrilled. With the crystal cores she had received, she could purchase more items to enhance her strength.

---

After completing his trade with Aerin, Orion composed another message, this time directed at Arthas.

"Arthas, my old friend, what price must I pay to obtain a Lord's Stone?"

Orion's message was straightforward. He didn't bother asking whether Arthas had a Lord's Stone, he cut straight to the point, asking what it would cost.

Arthas replied almost instantly: "Hulk, my friend, what do you have to offer?"

This response left Orion silent. What did he have to offer?

The truth was, nothing.

Anything Orion considered valuable would likely be beneath Arthas's notice. Even if he offered crystal cores or firestones, the sheer quantity required would likely be astronomical—far beyond what Orion had in his reserves.

With a sigh, Orion ended the conversation, unable to continue.

---

Necro Realm, Bone Throne

Sitting atop the Bone Throne, Arthas waited for a reply that never came. He chuckled to himself, already guessing the reason.

"Such pride and self-respect," he mused. "But then again, who among us survivors, reborn from the ashes of the apocalypse, doesn't carry a bit of arrogance?"

"Hulk, I look forward to the day you contact me again. What will you bring to the table then? Or perhaps… what terms will you agree to?"

Arthas laughed, his voice echoing through the cold, lifeless halls of the Necro Realm.

Years ago, Arthas had been much like Hulk—cautious, wary of the Survivor's Platform, yet desperate to extract every advantage from it.

He could see that Hulk only turned to the platform when faced with insurmountable challenges. And the Lord's Stone? Arthas was certain Hulk would remain helpless without it.

Since ascending to the Bone Throne, Arthas had spent his idle moments monitoring the Survivor's Platform. He wouldn't admit it to Hulk, but there were many beings as powerful as himself lurking on the platform.

These ancient survivors, with their vast reserves of wealth and power, often snatched up rare items the moment they appeared. This was one of the reasons why survivors like Orion struggled to find Alpha-level or higher resources on the platform.

---

### Blackstone City, Chieftain's Tent

Frustrated by his failed negotiation with Arthas, Orion turned his attention to another trade notification. This one was a delayed trade initiated by someone who had long ignored him: Scarecrow.

The trade was for 100 tons of grain.

Without hesitation, Orion accepted the trade, spending five C-grade crystal cores. The price wasn't cheap, but it wasn't unreasonable either. For Blackstone City, with its population of over ten thousand, 100 tons of grain would only last two days.

"The more, the better!" Orion sent a follow-up message to Scarecrow.

To his surprise, Scarecrow replied almost immediately:

"The more, the better? Are you serious, or are you joking?"

Orion couldn't help but laugh. It seemed even the aloof Scarecrow could be swayed by the promise of profit.

"Do you think I was joking before?" Orion teased, subtly pointing out Scarecrow's previous indifference.

"You misunderstood. From spring to autumn, I'm not on the Survivor's Platform," Scarecrow explained. "Of course, I don't know if your seasons align with mine, but it's already winter here."

Orion's eyes narrowed as he read the message. If it was already winter where Scarecrow was, then Scarecrow wasn't on the same continent—or at least not in the same region. Blackstone City, located in the Black Forest, was still in summer.

"Do you have more grain?" Orion asked, choosing not to pry into Scarecrow's location. Respect was the foundation of any relationship, and Orion understood this well.

"I do, but I'm not sure you can afford it," Scarecrow replied.

Orion didn't bother responding. Instead, he initiated a trade, placing tens of thousands of C-grade crystal cores on the table.

"Whoa! Did you rob a major faction or something?" Scarecrow exclaimed, his previously aloof demeanor completely shattered.

"Let's trade," Orion replied simply.

What followed was a series of rapid transactions. By the end, Orion had purchased 100,000 tons of grain—enough to feed Blackstone City's population for five years.

"Friend, if you need more grain in the future, just leave me a message. I'll set some aside for you!" Scarecrow promised. "But remember, I'm only online during the winter."

With 100,000 tons of grain secured, Orion felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Even if Scarecrow stopped selling to him, he now had plenty of time to find alternative sources.

More importantly, this trade had established a connection between him and Scarecrow. Whether they could be considered friends was another matter, but at the very least, Orion was now one of Scarecrow's biggest customers.

Satisfied, Orion allowed himself to relax. Closing his eyes, he quickly drifted into a deep sleep.

---

In a chaotic straw hut amidst a snowy expanse, a humanoid Scarecrow lay sprawled out, looking utterly at ease.

Hayden, the Scarecrow, casually munched on the C-grade crystal cores Orion had traded to him, popping them into his mouth like apples.

As a survivor, Hayden often felt unlucky to have been reborn as a Scarecrow. His species was bizarre, existing in a strange realm populated entirely by others like him.

Scarecrows didn't need to eat or drink, but to grow stronger, they had to consume items imbued with energy—crystal cores, beast meat, or even certain minerals.

What made Hayden's realm even stranger was its peculiar rule: every spring, all Scarecrows were compelled to tend their farms, planting and cultivating crops until the autumn harvest.

Once the planting began, they couldn't stop. They were trapped in this cycle until the harvest was complete.

Hayden had nearly gone insane during his first planting season. Or perhaps he had gone insane.

But over the years, he had gradually adapted to his Scarecrow body and its peculiarities. He even began to find joy in the absurdity of his existence.

"That Hulk guy sure has a lot of crystal cores," Hayden mused, tossing another core into his mouth. "What does he need so much grain for? He must be part of a powerful faction. Or maybe his faction is at war?"

"Should I raise my prices next time?"

"Eh… better not. Who knows? Maybe we'll become friends. It'd be nice to have someone to chat with."

Few would have guessed that Hayden, the seemingly aloof grain merchant of the Survivor's Platform, was actually a chatterbox.