Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

"Dirtclaw, stop crying!"

Delilah gently reminded Dirtclaw, and he immediately stifled his sobs.

Forcing himself to suppress the overwhelming emotions in his heart, Dirtclaw raised his head. He looked at Delilah, then at Orion, and finally at all the members of the council.

"I swear in the name of Anubis, Dirtclaw will protect the chieftain, defend Blackstone City, and serve the horde. I am willing to dedicate everything I have to the great Stoneheart Horde!"

Orion smiled faintly. He wasn't sure if this heartfelt declaration came entirely from Dirtclaw's own emotions or if it was orchestrated by Elder of Stewardship Delilah.

Either way, the result was exactly what Orion wanted.

Dirtclaw's sincere words moved the council members, stirring something deep within them.

For example, Rockwell, the obsidian golem, felt a pang of shame. He had once considered leaving the Stoneheart Horde, a decision he now regarded as a disgrace.

Your next journey awaits at empire

Looking back, Rockwell thought to himself, 'How naive I was back then! '

But he also felt fortunate. He believed he had returned to the right path—a broad and promising road.

---

"Rockwell!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Orion's deep voice rang out again, sending a ripple of tension through the tent.

The council elders' hearts trembled, knowing that another share of the Alpha-level resources was about to be claimed.

"Chieftain, Rockwell is here, ready to serve at your command!"

Orion was slightly surprised. Rockwell's tone was much more respectful than before.

In the face of resources, ambition, and survival, all arrogance and immaturity had been set aside.

"Rockwell, as the chieftain of the obsidian golem tribe, you voluntarily joined us, sparing us the need for war in the Black Forest. That alone is a great merit."

"You've led the horde in defending against two dark beast tides and have fought valiantly in both the Myriad Races Invasion and the recent counterattack against the icefield invaders."

"This is what you deserve."

Without further ado, Orion sent one of the wooden boxes into Rockwell's hands.

Rockwell's achievements were well-known and undeniable.

Not only was his identity as a tribal leader significant, but his personal strength was also formidable. In every major battle, Rockwell had charged into the front lines, earning a long list of accolades.

Rockwell's hands trembled slightly as he held the box, his heart surging with emotion.

But he had grown. With a firm and clear voice, he declared:

"Rockwell will not disappoint the horde's expectations!"

"I will protect the horde and safeguard the Blackstone City we've built, piece by piece!"

Orion nodded, signaling for Rockwell to return to his seat.

---

Orion's gaze then fell on the final wooden box. He suddenly fell silent, and the atmosphere in the tent grew heavy.

"It's unfortunate that no one else has yet qualified to receive this resource."

Orion sighed and put the last wooden box away.

"I'll hold onto it for now, waiting for a worthy member to claim it from me."

The moment Orion said this, the atmosphere in the chieftain's tent reignited with energy.

Many of the elders' eyes lit up with hope.

The fact that the horde still had surplus Alpha-level resources was a signal—a catalyst to drive the horde's leadership to strive for greater achievements.

"Next, we'll review the battle. Speak freely and contribute your thoughts for the betterment of the Stoneheart Horde!"

Orion glanced at Delilah, entrusting her to lead the discussion.

After speaking so much, Orion's throat was dry, and he needed a break.

Delilah took over with her enchanting voice, guiding the council members into a lively discussion.

"Chieftain, I believe this was a one-sided invasion. The enemies from the icefields underestimated our strength. They didn't know we had so many Alpha-level fighters, nor did they anticipate the support of the cave spiders…"

The speaker was Desdemona, a succubus and one of the eight council elders.

As a fellow succubus, Desdemona naturally stood up first to support Delilah's leadership while also taking the opportunity to share her own thoughts.

Orion, Onyx, Rendall, Delilah, and Thundar all nodded in agreement.

Before the ambush, the horde had deliberately concealed the true number of its Alpha-level fighters, catching the enemy off guard.

The lizardman Slagor had naively believed the Stoneheart Horde had only five Alpha-level fighters, when in reality, the number far exceeded his expectations.

During the invasion, both Rendall and the Spider Queen had refrained from taking action, demonstrating that the horde still had reserves to spare.

The moments of chaos during the battle were primarily due to the unique abilities of Lumi and Gustalon, as well as the suddenness of their attack.

---

"Chieftain, I think we should build more arrow towers and produce more crossbows!"

This suggestion came from a buffalofolk elder, catching Orion slightly off guard.

Orion glanced at Thundar, who leaned in and whispered:

"He's Hammerhoof, a newly promoted elder of the Buffalofolk. He's the half-brother of Earthshaker and has earned significant battle honors."

It was clear that Hammerhoof was a meticulous thinker.

Currently, the only truly effective siege weapons on Blackstone City's walls were the Bone Ballistae gifted by Arthas.

Although the city lacked bone bolts, the enchanted wooden bolts fired by the ballistae were still incredibly powerful.

Orion had long considered upgrading Blackstone City's defensive equipment, and the suggestion resonated with him.

Thanks to the accumulation of survivor's chests, Orion now possessed three mysterious arrow tower mini-structures.

However, these could only be used after he ascended to Legendary level and unlocked the territory construction feature—a fact he had learned from consulting Arthas.

For now, Orion decided to focus on producing more large crossbows. After all, the Black Forest had no shortage of wood.

---

"Chieftain, I think we should start mining to improve the sharpness of our weapons!"

"Chieftain, I believe we should train the cave spiders to work more closely with us and develop them into true partners!"

"…"

A flood of suggestions poured in—some practical, others less so.

While some ideas were reasonable, the Stoneheart Horde either lacked the resources or the capability to implement them at the moment.

Whenever Orion heard a particularly innovative suggestion, he signaled Delilah to record it for future reference.

---

Half a day later, the review concluded. The council members, now hungry and parched, were visibly fatigued.

With a wave of his hand, Orion summoned the logistics team, who brought in large quantities of roasted meat and meat porridge.

Taking advantage of the gathering, Orion distributed some of the elite weapons he had stockpiled, rewarding outstanding bloodline warriors.

The recipients were overjoyed.

For example, Rendall's daughter, Ursa, received a shield from Orion.

Ursa cherished the shield, not just for its quality but because it was a gift from Orion himself.

As Orion handed out the weapons, Lilith leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

"Lorelia sent word—one of the spiders that entered the Bottomless Abyss has returned."

Orion's pupils contracted briefly, but he quickly regained his composure and continued distributing the weapons as if nothing had happened.