Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Meanwhile, Orion activated his skill, Titan's Rage, and his attributes surged dramatically. With his strength amplified, he grabbed a trident and hurled it with immense force.

Boom!

The trident streaked through the air like a thunderbolt, aimed directly at one of the Wolf Kings. But just as it was about to strike, the Wolf King vanished from its position, reappearing in another direction and continuing its charge.

"What a bizarre way to evade!"

Orion was startled. He couldn't discern how the Wolf King had managed to shift positions so quickly.

Roar!

There was no time to dwell on it.

The Abyssal Dragon and the three Wolf Kings had already closed in on each other, and the battle had begun.

The three Wolf Kings spread out, surrounding the Abyssal Dragon from three directions. Their snarls were low and menacing, their sharp fangs bared as they prepared to strike.

The Abyssal Dragon turned its massive body, its cold, merciless eyes scanning for an opening.

Orion, standing on the dragon's back, was connected to it through their shared consciousness. With a single glance at the three Wolf Kings, he and the dragon reached an unspoken agreement.

Roar!

The Abyssal Dragon chose the Wolf King directly in front of it as its target and charged forward.

Its massive jaws opened wide, revealing rows of sword-like teeth, a terrifying sight of pure ferocity.

At the same time, the two Wolf Kings on the dragon's flanks launched their own attacks.

The Wolf King on the left leaped into the air, its jaws wide open, aiming directly for Orion.

The one on the right, equally cunning, lunged for the Abyssal Dragon's neck, its fangs glinting with deadly intent.

Roar!

The Abyssal Dragon was prepared. With Orion acting as its third eye, it had anticipated the flanking attacks.

Its eyes flashed with killing intent as it twisted its head, snapping its jaws toward the Wolf King on the right with lightning speed.

Simultaneously, the dragon's massive foreclaws pinned the Wolf King in front of it to the ground, its claws sinking deep into the beast's flesh.

As for the Wolf King leaping toward Orion, the giant warrior was ready. With a fierce battle cry, he leaped into the air, his trident aimed straight for the Wolf King's head.

Too fast!

The three attacks happened in an instant, a deadly exchange of blows.

In midair, just as Orion's trident was about to pierce the Wolf King's skull, the beast vanished again.

Whoosh!

The Wolf King reappeared on the Abyssal Dragon's neck, its jaws clamping down hard.

Boom!

The dragon's long tail whipped around, striking the Wolf King and sending it flying.

Orion landed smoothly on the ground, his trident already raised as he charged toward the Wolf King pinned beneath the dragon's claws.

The pinned Wolf King, despite its predicament, was relentless. It arched its body and sank its teeth into the dragon's foreclaw.

This brought it face-to-face with Orion, their eyes locking in a deadly exchange.

One gaze was filled with bloodthirsty ferocity; the other burned with unrelenting killing intent.

"Go to hell!"

Orion's Berserk Aura had long since been activated. Both he and the Abyssal Dragon were in a state of frenzy, their fighting spirit at its peak.

Squelch!

Orion's trident plunged deep into the Wolf King's skull, triggering the weapon's special effect. Flames erupted from the wound, engulfing the beast's body.

Boom!

As the flames consumed the Wolf King, the Abyssal Dragon retracted its foreclaw and turned its attention to the Wolf King biting its neck. With a swift motion, the dragon tore the beast open, spilling its entrails onto the ground.

In mere moments, two of the three Wolf Kings lay dead, their bodies lifeless and burning.

Orion, his expression cold and unfeeling, stood like a butcher amidst the carnage. Before the eyes of the wolf pack, he methodically split open the skulls of the two dead Wolf Kings and extracted their crystal cores.

"Awooo!"

The third Wolf King, the one that had been struck by the dragon's tail and survived, let out a mournful howl. It was a call for vengeance.

The wolf pack, driven by hatred, surged forward in a suicidal charge.

Screech!

A sharp eagle cry pierced the air as Orion leaped onto the Abyssal Dragon's back. Using the dragon as a springboard, he launched himself into the sky.

At the same time, the Abyssal Dragon dissolved into a red light, retreating into Orion's heart.

Now safely atop the Thunderhawk, Orion didn't relent. He retrieved a set of throwing spears and began hurling them at the remaining Wolf King from above.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each spear struck with the force of a missile. Though the Wolf King managed to evade the attacks, the ground below was left riddled with craters.

The nearby snow wolves weren't so lucky. Many were caught in the blasts, their bodies torn apart by the shockwaves.

Just as Orion prepared to throw another spear, a wind blade came slicing through the air from the distance.

The blade's sharp whistle was deafening, its speed terrifying.

"Watch out!"

Rayden folded its wings and tilted its body, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Gustalon had finally appeared.

Orion's eyes narrowed as he processed the situation. He decided to stop targeting the Wolf King and directed the Thunderhawk to return to the ridge.

Once there, he picked up Delilah and brought her onto the Thunderhawk's back.

"Do it. He's here."

Delilah nodded, her lips parting as she began to chant a mysterious incantation. Her voice was melodic yet haunting, a rhythm that was neither song nor spell but carried an undeniable magical resonance.

The battlefield suddenly became eerily quiet as pink snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

The snowflakes landed on the icefield snow wolves, causing them to close their eyes and stand motionless, as if entranced.

Even Orion, standing beside Delilah, could feel the battlefield's sudden stillness. The Horde's bloodline warriors stared in disbelief at the sight before them.

Earthshaker, who had just pushed a massive boulder into the ravine, watched as the snow wolves below made no effort to dodge. They stood still, allowing themselves to be crushed into pulp.

"What kind of illusion is this?"

As a Buffalofolk, Earthshaker had encountered succubus illusions before.

Before the Black Forest was unified, the Buffalofolk had often oppressed the succubi.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

But Earthshaker had never imagined that succubus illusions could be this powerful on a battlefield.

What he didn't know was that Delilah and Lilith's illusions had been enhanced twice.

The first enhancement came from the blessing they received after defeating a large number of Weeping Banshees.

The second came from their ascension to Alpha-level, which significantly boosted their abilities.

"Delilah, what is this technique? I've never seen you use it before!"

"It's the Song of Bewilderment, a spell from the Nightmare Arts. Impressive, isn't it?"

Delilah smiled seductively, licking her lips as she cast a flirtatious glance at Orion.

Orion rolled his eyes at her, his focus returning to the battlefield.

"Did Gustalon fall for your illusion?"

"Yes."

"Where is he?"

Delilah pointed north, toward the rear of the wolf pack. Her tone was curious as she added, "He ran away."

"What?"

"I don't know what he saw in his dream, but he turned into a gust of wind and fled north."

Orion frowned. Letting Gustalon escape was a significant risk. The wind elemental remained a dangerous threat.

---

Gustalon's retreat left Orion somewhat disappointed.

Standing atop the Thunderhawk, Orion scanned the wolf pack below, searching for the last Wolf King. He wanted to seize the opportunity to eliminate it.

"Orion, give the order to retreat!"

"My Song of Bewilderment covers a wide area, but its effects won't last much longer."

"This is the best time to pull back!"

Orion withdrew his gaze and looked at Delilah. After meeting her determined eyes, he reluctantly issued the retreat order.

---

"Awooo…"

At the rear of the wolf pack, beyond the reach of the Song of Bewilderment, howls echoed continuously.

The howls began to wake the wolves trapped in the illusion, one by one.

---

"Retreat! Everyone retreat! Don't linger!"

"Do you all want to die?"

"Do you want to be torn apart and devoured by the wolves?"

On the ridge, Dirtclaw cracked his whip, driving the frenzied and reckless gnolls and geckos of the cannon fodder troops back into formation.

After receiving the retreat order, Dirtclaw had been working tirelessly to maintain order.

On another ridge, Earthshaker stood at the edge of a cliff. After pushing the last boulder in front of him down into the ravine, he turned to the bloodline warriors behind him and roared.

"We're leaving! Fall back to the second ambush point as planned!"

On yet another hill, Rockwell hefted a massive boulder and hurled it with all his might.

The boulder crashed into a densely packed group of icefield snow wolves, crushing several of them instantly.

Seeing the devastation caused by his throw, Rockwell grinned widely.

The feeling of taking lives with such ease was exhilarating to him.

"Elder, the chieftain has ordered a retreat!"

"You go first! Don't worry about me—I'll catch up after I throw these last few rocks!"

"But…"

"No buts! Get moving, or I'll hold you responsible for delaying the retreat!"

"Understood!"

The obsidian golems, naturally attuned to earth elements, handled the boulders as if they were toys.

Rockwell approached the remaining three boulders and lifted them all at once.

"Damn wolves, taste my triple-shot special!"

---

From atop the Thunderhawk, Orion directed the beast to cover the retreat of the Horde's bloodline warriors.

Any ridge where the icefield snow wolves pursued was bombarded by Orion and the Thunderhawk, leaving destruction in their wake.

Only after the main force had safely withdrawn did Orion guide the Thunderhawk back.

---

Two Days Later – Second Ambush Point

The second ambush point was set near a wide river. This particular stretch of the river was the calmest and narrowest, making it the safest crossing point for the wolves to continue their march southward.

Inside a temporary command tent, Orion sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over the gathered elders.

As Orion observed them, they, in turn, watched him.

Many of the elders had witnessed the battle at the first ambush point. From their vantage points, they had seen Orion and his Abyssal Dragon take on three Wolf Kings, slaying two of them.

The memory of that feat still filled them with awe and excitement.

Finally, Orion's gaze settled on Slagor.

Slagor and his forces had arrived at the second ambush point several days earlier. The riverbanks were now lined with traps set by his troops.

"Slagor, your forces will take the lead in this ambush."

"Your people are better suited for water combat than mine."

"The battle won't be too intense. All you need to do is hold the riverbanks and prevent the icefield snow wolves from crossing."

"Of course, I'll assign some of my bloodline warriors to assist you."

Orion's tone left no room for negotiation.

Slagor narrowed his eyes in thought but eventually nodded in agreement.

Orion then turned his attention to Gronthar.

The Troll chieftain stood up, his towering 25-foot frame and bulging muscles making him an imposing figure.

"This is Gronthar, chieftain of the Trolls. He has submitted to us."

Orion's words were directed at the gathered elders of the Stoneheart Horde.

Hearing this, Earthshaker, Desdemona, Vespera, Rockwell, Dirtclaw, Ursa, and the others widened their eyes, scrutinizing Gronthar closely.

From their senses, they could tell that Gronthar's strength surpassed their own.

This meant that Gronthar's power exceeded the peak of hero level, putting him on the cusp of Alpha-level.

Another contender for Alpha-level resources!

This thought echoed in the minds of every elder present.

Fortunately, Gronthar was a newcomer to the Horde and had yet to make any significant contributions. This realization brought a sense of relief to the elders.

At the same time, Gronthar's presence served as a reminder to them all: they needed to keep improving.

"Prophet, Gronthar will be under your guidance for now. Help integrate the Trolls into the Horde as quickly as possible."

Prophet Onyx nodded, accepting the task.

Orion's decision was a careful one. He knew that Onyx and Gronthar had a good rapport. With Onyx's guidance, the Trolls would likely adapt to the Horde much faster.

Hearing this, Gronthar looked at Onyx, his eyes lighting up with gratitude.

Onyx, in turn, met Gronthar's gaze and gave him a slight nod, a silent acknowledgment.

In truth, Gronthar had been overwhelmed the moment he entered the command tent.

The sheer presence of the gathered powerhouses had left him in awe.

Aside from Orion and Slagor, Onyx, Delilah, and Thundar were all Alpha-level. The faint pressure emanating from them made Gronthar's heart tremble.

Including Orion and his Thunderhawk, the Stoneheart Horde now boasted five Alpha-level powerhouses.

"Slagor wasn't lying. The Black Forest is nothing like it used to be."

---

After introducing Gronthar, Orion handed over control of the meeting to Delilah, Thundar, and Slagor.

The ambush had been planned well in advance, and Slagor's unexpected arrival had turned out to be a significant boon.

Slagor's forces, composed of swamp-dwelling species adept at water combat, would serve as the main force for this ambush. Delilah and Thundar would coordinate their efforts to maximize the Horde's gains.

Orion estimated that the first ambush had cost the icefield snow wolves around 20,000 casualties.

While significant, this was still a small fraction of the wolf pack's total strength of 200,000.

As Delilah, Thundar, and Slagor discussed the finer details of the battle plan with the other elders, Orion and Onyx closed their eyes, reflecting on the lessons learned from the first ambush.

---

If Gronthar was merely impressed by the Horde's strength, Slagor was outright shaken.

The two senior elders he was now working with—Delilah and Thundar—hadn't even been Alpha-level during the Myriad Races Invasion.

Slagor had met Delilah before and knew her to be a capable strategist. But after the dark beast tides, she had ascended to Alpha-level, now standing on equal footing with him.

As for Thundar, Slagor had also seen him during Orion's first expedition to the Poison Dragon Swamp. Back then, Thundar hadn't been Alpha-level either.

Now, sitting in the same room as these powerhouses, Slagor couldn't help but feel uneasy.

He stole a glance at Orion, who sat silently with his eyes closed, and felt a chill run down his spine.

"This neighbor of mine is becoming more dangerous by the day."