Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Boom!

Prophet Onyx and Rendall, both affected by the illusion, were struck by the Dark Armored Beetle, each sustaining minor injuries.

"Close your eyes and listen to my voice!"

"This is a dream, a mirage, an endless falsehood!"

"Who still resists in the abyss?"

"…"

This was the "Requiem of Souls", a song passed down through the succubus tribe.

Leading the chant was Lilith.

Her voice was as delicate as wind chimes, as gentle as a spring breeze.

Yet, this soft and melodious song resonated like the roar of the heavens, like the sigh of the mind, echoing in the hearts of every Stoneheart Horde bloodline warrior.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The first to awaken from the illusion were the succubi. Hearing the familiar song, they joined in, their voices rising in harmony.

Gradually, the sound grew louder, richer, and more powerful.

One by one, the horde members trapped in the illusion began to regain their senses.

"Charge! Kill the enemy!"

Once freed from the illusion, the warriors launched a fierce counterattack.

The tentacle monsters that had climbed onto the walls were quickly overwhelmed, one by one falling to the horde's retaliation.

When Delilah arrived on the wall, the pace of the slaughter accelerated even further.

Her presence alone steadied the bloodline warriors, calming their previously shaken morale.

"Earthshaker, Rockwell, take your squads and clear the tentacle monsters off the walls!"

"Desdemona, Vespera, organize the archers, spear throwers, and ballista operators. Execute three-stage volleys—don't let the bolts stop! Keep these damned dark creatures suppressed!"

"Dirtclaw, drive the cannon fodder troops to guard every bastion!"

"…"

The arrival of Elder of Stewardship Delilah brought order to the chaos.

Her commands gave the bloodline warriors a clear structure, and their attacks became more coordinated.

Although some warriors' strikes were still a bit disorganized, the improvement was evident.

The dark creatures that had breached the walls were now being forcefully pushed back.

"Dirtclaw, where's the burning oil I told you to prepare?"

"Master, it's ready!"

"Pour it out! Burn every dark creature at the base of the walls!"

Dirtclaw shouted his acknowledgment and quickly directed his gnolls to retrieve the burning oil from the inner storerooms of the wall.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The burning oil ignited instantly, and flames roared to life, spreading along the base of the wall.

The tide of dark creatures was once again suppressed, their advance halted by the raging inferno.

The sight of the burning oil brought a sense of relief to the bloodline warriors defending the walls.

Blackstone City's eastern side, underground fissure wall.

Here, Lorelia, Thundar, Samson, and Ursa had been stationed to defend the area.

Watching the flames rise from the southern gate and hearing the roars of Alpha-level powerhouses, they felt a mix of anxiety and adrenaline.

"Elder Thundar, are we just going to sit here and wait?"

"Yeah, the southern gate is clearly in trouble!"

"Shouldn't we go and help?"

The ones speaking were Samson and Ursa, who were growing restless as the horde faced an overwhelming assault.

"That's not a wise decision," Thundar replied sternly.

"Rendall and Onyx ordered us to hold this position. If we all leave and this place falls, who will take responsibility?"

Samson and Ursa wanted to argue further, but they were interrupted by Lorelia.

"If you're worried about the others, you should be more concerned about yourselves!"

"Look over there—dark creatures are already circling around to attack us!"

"Prepare for battle!"

As Lorelia spoke, she let out a series of sharp, chittering sounds.

In response, a swarm of cave spiders emerged from the underground fissure, taking up defensive positions along the wall.

Meanwhile, Thundar, Samson, and Ursa charged forward, rallying the bloodline warriors to prepare for the incoming assault.

Chaos. Absolute chaos.

From the moment the battle began, Blackstone City had been on the defensive.

It was clear that the overwhelming number of dark creatures had been concealed by the combined illusions of the Phantom Spider and the Dark Butterfly.

The Dark Butterfly's repeated appearances weren't just distractions for Orion and the thunderhawk—it had been meticulously laying the groundwork for a massive illusion.

---

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Above the clouds, Thunderhawk Rayden unleashed another chain of lightning, striking the Dark Butterfly.

This time, the lightning didn't pass through harmlessly. Instead, it tore holes in the butterfly's massive wings.

Though the damage wasn't catastrophic, it was enough to slow the creature's flight.

Orion's sharp senses picked up on the change. The butterfly's balance was no longer as steady, and its erratic flight patterns had become less precise.

Seizing the opportunity, Orion retrieved another throwing trident and hurled it with all his might.

Whoosh!

The trident tore through the air, embedding itself deep in the Dark Butterfly's abdomen.

"Huh?"

Orion frowned.

The trident didn't explode as expected. Instead, it simply caused the butterfly to bleed black ichor.

"There's something strange about that membrane on its body," Orion muttered, his expression growing colder.

With its wings damaged and its abdomen pierced, the Dark Butterfly was clearly on the brink of death.

"You're chasing me while your horde is being devoured by dark creatures!"

The soft, motherly voice echoed again, this time tinged with urgency and fear.

Orion didn't respond.

He retrieved another trident, his gaze fixed on the Dark Butterfly.

"If you return now, you might still save your people!"

The butterfly's words were a desperate attempt to bargain, using the lives of Blackstone City's defenders as leverage to escape.

Orion sneered.

Without hesitation, he hurled the trident like a spear.

Whoosh!

The Dark Butterfly shifted its body, using its wings to block the trident aimed at its abdomen.

The impact tore through its wings, further crippling its flight.

"Rayden!"

This was the moment Orion had been waiting for—the perfect opportunity to strike.

Thunderhawk Rayden reacted instantly, unleashing a bolt of lightning that struck the Dark Butterfly dead-on.

The butterfly let out a piercing wail, eerily reminiscent of a woman's scream, before plummeting toward the ground.

The sound startled Orion for a moment, but he quickly refocused.

This was a dark creature, and he had no intention of showing mercy.

Retrieving another trident, Orion hurled it toward the falling butterfly.

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted in the darkness.

Thunderhawk Rayden circled twice before diving toward the ground.

Orion, holding the Flame of Will, leapt from Rayden's back and approached the fallen Dark Butterfly.

Looking at the lifeless corpse of the Dark Butterfly before him, Orion drew the curved blade from his waist and sliced open its head. Inside, he found a pure and radiant dark source crystal.

Experience tales at empire

After securing the crystal, Orion turned to leave but hesitated. Something felt off, a nagging sense of unease that he couldn't shake.

Acting on instinct, he turned back and drove his trident into the Dark Butterfly's corpse.

The Flame of Will, enhanced by Violet's enchantment, burned brighter than ever, its flames easily igniting the remains of the butterfly.

Whoosh!

A burst of fire erupted from the corpse, forcing Orion to take a few cautious steps back.

It was those few steps that saved his life.

Pop!

A strange sound echoed from within the butterfly's body, and a sinister, beautiful face emerged from the flames, lunging toward the spot where Orion had just been standing.

Had he not stepped back, the eerie face would have entered his body.

Fortunately, that didn't happen.

The strange face writhed in the flames, letting out a piercing, agonized scream.

"Cursed giant! I will remember your scent, and I will return!"

Moments later, the face stopped screaming and spoke in a soft, motherly voice, tinged with malice.

Its distorted features stared at Orion through the flames, eerie and chilling.

Orion opened his mouth to question it, but before he could speak, the face dissolved into a wisp of fire and vanished completely.

"No wonder it was so strange—it was a will projection!"

The realization dawned on Orion. The butterfly had been controlled by the will projection of a Legendary-level dark creature.

"So… I've been marked by an unknown Legendary-level dark creature?"

The thought sent a shiver down Orion's spine.

But instead of fear, a surge of excitement coursed through him, filling him with a reckless sense of ambition.

Hunting a Legendary-level being—what a wild, exhilarating idea!

Shaking off his thoughts, Orion collected the Survivor's Chest left behind by the butterfly and called out to the thunderhawk circling above.

"Rayden, let's head back!"

The thunderhawk let out a sharp cry and swooped down.

With a light leap, Orion landed on its back, and they soared toward Blackstone City.

---

Blackstone City, Inner Wall.

Boom!

Prophet Onyx's stone axe clashed with the pincers of the Dark Armored Beetle, sending sparks flying.

Behind the beetle, Rendall dodged its whip-like antennae and swung his spiked club with all his might, smashing into the beetle's shell.

After a prolonged battle, even the formidable Dark Armored Beetle was nearing its end.

Its back was a mangled mess, shattered by Rendall's relentless strikes.

For heavily armored creatures like this, most weapons would struggle to penetrate their defenses. But Rendall's spiked club was the perfect tool for the job, designed to crush through such armor.

With Lilith providing support, her Mind Confusion illusions disrupted the beetle's movements and judgment, giving Onyx and Rendall the upper hand.

It was only a matter of time before the Alpha-level Dark Armored Beetle fell to their combined efforts.

From above, Orion observed the battle as he returned to Blackstone City.

Victory was within reach, and seeing this, Orion shifted his focus to the fight between the Phantom Spider and the abyssal dragon outside the city walls.

The succubi's song, with its ability to dispel illusions, had been instrumental in breaking the Phantom Spider's hold.

Under Lilith's lead, Delilah had organized a group of succubi to sing continuously, ensuring the illusions were kept at bay.

Now free from the spider's illusions, the abyssal dragon lurked within its Mist Domain, relentlessly hunting the Phantom Spider.

The Phantom Spider, however, had spun a vast network of webs earlier, using them to evade the dragon's jaws time and again.

For now, Orion had no intention of intervening. The battlefield was relatively stable, and these fights were valuable opportunities for growth.

For Onyx, Rendall, Lilith, and even the Abyssal Dragon, this was a chance to hone their skills.

Lilith, in particular, had only recently ascended to Alpha-level and needed this kind of experience.

Orion's role was to monitor the battlefield and respond to any unexpected developments.

Circling above on the thunderhawk, he was the ultimate safeguard for Blackstone City.

It was important for the horde to know that someone was watching over them, ready to step in if needed.

To reinforce this sense of security, Orion directed the thunderhawk to lower its altitude, letting out a piercing cry.

The thunderhawk's shadow darted across the battlefield, heading toward the densest clusters of dark creatures.

With each pass, it unleashed bolts of chain lightning, tearing through the enemy ranks.

The bloodline warriors on the walls felt the pressure ease as the thunderhawk began clearing the dark creatures.

"Lightning… it's the thunderhawk!"

"The chieftain is back!"

"Kill these dark creatures! Victory is near!"

"Glory to the chieftain!"

"Glory to Orion!"

Hearing the cheers from the walls, Delilah looked up at the thunderhawk darting across the battlefield and let out a sigh of relief.

The thunderhawk's presence meant Orion had returned.

And if Orion was back, it meant the enemy had either been defeated or had fled.

Either way, it was good news.

The battle didn't end with Orion's return, but it shifted into a phase of suppression and counterattack.

Within the Mist Domain, the abyssal dragon clamped its jaws around one of the Phantom Spider's legs, tearing it off and swallowing it whole.

Its massive eyes, bloodshot and filled with killing intent, glared at the spider as it charged again.

The Phantom Spider let out a desperate roar.

With its webs destroyed and four of its legs severed, it was trapped in a hopeless struggle.

In a final act of defiance, the Phantom Spider lunged at the abyssal dragon like a massive facehugger, attempting to grapple it in a last-ditch effort.

But the abyssal dragon was more than just a creature of brute strength. Its sharp claws and powerful tail were equally deadly.

Wham!

With a single swipe of its tail, the dragon sent the Phantom Spider flying.

The ground shook as the dragon approached its fallen prey, tearing into it with savage ferocity.

Minutes later, the Phantom Spider lay motionless, its life extinguished.

From atop the thunderhawk, Orion watched the scene unfold.

Satisfied, he signaled the abyssal dragon to stop devouring the spider's corpse.