Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Orion turned back towards the stone gate.

Seeing him return, Kolgor knew what Orion was up to. "Kid, I know you're curious, but the Abyss isn't something you can challenge right now. Wait until you've passed the bloodline trial."

"Uh, let me give it a try," Orion scratched his head, smiling.

Kolgor looked at him and suddenly asked, "If I refuse, will you force your way in?"

Orion nodded.

"Just like your father," Kolgor sighed, waving his hand. "If it were just curiosity, I'd stop you, but you clearly have other intentions. There are things I must tell you first."

Orion nodded, indicating he was listening.

Kolgor spoke slowly, "There are multiple entrances to the Abyss, many just in the Black Forest. I can't stop them all, so I won't stop you."

"The Abyss is layered, each level more dangerous than the last. The first layer is relatively safe, but you must promise me to stay there and not go deeper! Understand?"

Orion nodded, "I understand."

Kolgor nodded, removing the key from around his neck to unlock the stone gate.

The next moment, Orion entered the Abyss.

...

The first layer of the Abyss was shrouded in mist, with no visible boundaries, resembling a foggy day in the Black Forest but darker. The vegetation consisted of various fungi, some even taller than Orion.

Orion looked back at the blue circular archway.

"That should be the portal back."

Orion pondered where to hunt next.

As he moved through the fungi forest, his senses sharpened, not because his vision improved, but due to the high concentration of elements and magic around him.

Higher than where his parents lived.

The odd thing was, the magic felt unruly, like a wild beast.

Hiss...

Orion noticed movement and found himself surrounded by a group of scorpions.

They were lion-sized, with armor-like shells glowing blue, their stingers sharp as blades.

Dozens of them silently encircled Orion.

[Creature: Abyssal Giant Scorpion]

[Level: Standard]

[Weight: 300 pounds]

[Strength: 12]

[Agility: 15]

[Intelligence: 5]

Skills: Scorpion Venom, Coordination

Traits: Natives of the Abyss's first layer, they despise the scent of outsiders, twisted by the Abyss's environment into savage creatures.

...

Orion frowned slightly, not surprised by the monsters in the Abyss, but curious how they appeared without him noticing.

These scorpions seemed to materialize out of thin air.

"No matter, let's test the waters."

Orion swung his greatsword, smashing it down!

With his current strength, dealing with these standard-level Abyssal beasts was easy. One strike cleared a ten-meter area of scorpions!

Standard-level Abyssal creature kills: 12

The quest counter updated, and Orion smiled. Simple.

Orion wielded his greatsword, and ten minutes later, he pulled it from the last scorpion's corpse, exhaling lightly.

Suddenly, the feel of the blade was off, so he checked the scorpion's body.

"What's this?"

Orion found a dull crystal, scanning it with the panel:

[Abyssal Core (D-grade)]

[Function: ???]

Orion: "..."

It was his first time seeing question marks in an item's information. Unsure of its use, he decided to collect them all.

Continuing his exploration, Orion kept killing standard-level creatures.

The Abyss had many monster types, but mostly insects like centipedes, scorpions, and black ants.

Orion knew this wasn't the Abyss's full scope; the abundance of weak insect monsters was due to being on the first, shallowest layer.

After some time, Orion checked the counter.

Standard-level Abyssal creature kills: 122

Calculating rewards... Orion thought, soon feeling a cool sensation throughout his body.

He felt stronger, his steps lighter, the joy of increased attributes.

Sweet!

Orion excitedly examined himself, having gained 2 attribute points in such a short time!

Moreover, through constant combat, Orion completed [Advanced Greatsword Mastery], his technique now matching his strength, perfectly balanced!

Now, I might be able to face that Flame Magical Bear head-on!

The Abyss, though dangerous, was a great place for Orion to enhance his strength.

Orion was pleased, but the ground monsters on the first layer were nearly wiped out, leaving a swarm of bats.

These bats flew around in large numbers, the fog severely hindering visibility.

Orion used his spear for ranged attacks, not needing to aim, each throw killing over ten bats.

Despite this, there were too many bats. Using only spear throws, it would take days to clear them all.

"Let's retreat for now, no rush," Orion retrieved his spear, cleaning off bat remains, preparing to return.

Casting a final glance at the swirling mass of bats, he turned away from the cavern's depths. The echo of dripping water accompanied his footsteps as he navigated the familiar tunnels.

However, an unusually large spider blocked his path on the way back.

[Creature: Shadow Spinner]

[Level: Elite]

[Weight: 3500 pounds]

[Strength: 29]

[Agility: 22]

[Defense: 14]

Skills: Venomous Fangs, Web Weaving

Venomous Fangs: The Shadow Spinner's sharp fangs contain deadly venom, slowing prey and turning them to blood.

Web Weaving: The Shadow Spinner can weave large webs, capturing nearby prey. (Escape weight limit: 200 pounds)

200 pounds... meaning anything lighter can't escape the web?

Orion decided not to provoke the Shadow Spinner, but as he planned to return via another route, the panel displayed a new newbie quest.

[Newbie quest triggered: Get hit by Venomous Fangs 10 times, reward Intermediate Resistance Skin]