Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Nightfall.

Orion stood atop the southern gate of Blackstone City, waiting for Rendall to arrive.

On the city walls, every twenty meters, a bloodline warrior from the cannon fodder troops stood guard as part of the rotation.

In addition to these sentries, every half hour, a patrol team composed of one hundred bloodline warriors, selected from the ranks of cannon fodder troops, marched from east to west to ensure constant vigilance.

Outside the walls, Thundar led the cavalry unit, their torches casting flickering light as they conducted routine patrols along the perimeter.

Even the skies above were not silent—an occasional eagle's cry pierced the air, adding to the oppressive and heavy atmosphere.

If Rendall hadn't known this was just a drill, he might have thought the dark beast tides were upon them once again.

---

"Elder, what do you think of the current state of the giants?"

"They're doing well—thriving and prosperous!"

"And what about our Blackstone City?"

"It's incredible. This is a sight I never dared to imagine."

Orion walked ahead, falling silent for a moment after the brief exchange.

"If my sister could see all this, do you think she'd be happy?"

"This…"

At the mention of Clymene, the joy on Rendall's face vanished instantly, replaced by a heavy, somber expression.

He didn't know why Orion had brought up Clymene, but the name cast a shadow over both of them, plunging their conversation into silence.

The two walked side by side, their pace unhurried. It was nearly midnight by the time they reached the underground fissure.

"Elder, come with me. Let's take a look inside."

"Alright."

---

At the entrance to the underground fissure.

The Spider Queen Lorelia was already waiting, as if she had anticipated Orion's arrival.

"Master, the ritual is ready."

Lorelia's expression was solemn. As Orion and Rendall stepped into the passage, her four spider guards immediately closed the entrance behind them.

Even Orion's personal guards were barred from entering.

The spider guards began weaving webs, sealing off the area outside the passage completely.

Rendall watched all this unfold, his unease growing.

"Orion, what are they—"

"You don't need to worry. Just watch and don't make a sound."

Orion's voice was calm, but beneath that calmness lay an undercurrent of something unknown—something expectant, almost thrilling.

---

Inside the underground fissure.

In the largest chamber, ten thousand cages were arranged in neat rows. Inside each cage lay various creatures, paralyzed by spider venom.

The majority of the captives were icefield snow wolves and frost giants, with other beasts making up the rest.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Beneath the cages, ancient and mysterious runes had been drawn in blood, forming a sacrificial ritual of unknown origin.

At the center of the ritual lay six coffins arranged in a circle—one large and five smaller.

Inside these coffins were the bodies of Clymene and the five giant elders who had followed her south: Vargrum, Mordak, Zorn, Balgor, and Grendel. Your next chapter awaits on empire

"Is that… Chieftain Clymene's body?"

"What are you trying to do?"

Rendall's voice rose in shock as he turned to Orion, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Orion shook his head, signaling Rendall to remain silent.

After instructing Rendall to stay where he was, Orion stepped alone into the center of the sacrificial ritual, approaching the six coffins.

At the heart of the ritual stood an altar, constructed from the corpse of Chillrend.

Chillrend, a humanoid creature, had no crystal core within its body.

This meant that all of Chillrend's essence was concentrated in its physical form, making its corpse the perfect material for the ritual—a supreme offering.

Orion approached the altar, lighting a dish of blood-infused wax and placing it on the altar.

The altar and Chillrend's corpse were seamlessly connected, clearly treated with the unique methods of the cave spider clan.

Orion pricked his finger, letting a drop of his blood fall into the burning wax.

Boom!

Flames erupted, climbing up Orion's hand.

Enduring the searing pain, Orion circled Chillrend's corpse, igniting it completely.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In an instant, green flames roared to life, illuminating the dark underground space.

The eerie green light cast the shadows of the caged creatures onto the stone walls, creating a sinister, terrifying, and mysterious atmosphere.

The spiderlings dwelling in the fissure, sensing the oppressive energy, began chirping nervously, their sounds amplifying the eerie tension.

---

"Great being of the Bottomless Abyss, I call upon you with blood as the medium and fire as the guide. Hear my plea!"

"In the name of the sacrificial contract, I offer the lives of these creatures in the cages. Their souls and blood are yours to claim in exchange!"

"The altar is sacred, whole and pure. Let the flames cleanse all impurity…"

Orion recited a lengthy prayer, his voice steady and unwavering.

Only when Chillrend's corpse was completely consumed by the flames did he stop.

The underground fissure fell into an eerie silence—so quiet that Orion couldn't even hear his own heartbeat.

Then, where Chillrend's body had once been, a blood-red mouth with sharp fangs suddenly appeared.

The mouth opened wide and inhaled deeply, sucking in all the creatures from the cages as streams of smoke.

The pull was irresistible, overwhelmingly powerful. Orion didn't even have the will to resist; the titan force within him was almost awakened in an attempt to counteract the force.

Fortunately, the force wasn't directed at Orion, Lorelia, or Rendall, who stood outside the ritual.

After devouring the sacrifices, the blood-red mouth let out a satisfied belch and spat out six faint, grayish souls.

The souls drifted into the coffins, settling inside them.

"I am pleased… good job…"

Orion wasn't sure if he was hallucinating, but he thought he heard a majestic voice echoing in the chamber, its tone almost encouraging him to continue offering sacrifices.

After what felt like an eternity, the oppressive, suffocating pressure in the fissure vanished.

Huff… huff… huff…

The only sounds in the chamber were the heavy breaths of Orion, Lorelia, and Rendall, all of whom were gasping for air.

The creatures that had been in the cages were gone—completely erased, without even a trace of bone or shadow left behind.

Everything about the scene reminded Orion that what had just happened was no illusion—it was real.

Orion lifted his head, his gaze sweeping across the chamber. He noticed that even the blood runes etched into the ground had disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

Finally, his eyes rested on the coffin containing his sister, Clymene.

There was no movement.

"Did the ritual fail?"

"Were the sacrifices insufficient to complete the transformation?"

"…"

As Orion's thoughts spiraled, his sister, Clymene, slowly sat up from her coffin.