Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

The woman bound by ropes remained silent, her gaze filled with curiosity as she looked at Orion.

Another rare race had appeared before him, and this was indeed a pleasant surprise.

Orion thought for a moment but decided not to pay further attention to the quiet woman. He allowed the two succubus warriors to continue holding her captive.

Returning to his seat, Orion sipped his drink, waiting for news from Delilah. He was also waiting for updates from others.

The Skytalon Tribe had already submitted, but their resources and wealth needed to be thoroughly inventoried. Then there were the gnolls—though they had suffered significant losses, over ten thousand gnoll bloodline warriors remained.

Dirtclaw had become the sole chieftain of the gnoll tribe, but he hadn't yet fully consolidated his power. Orion was waiting for his report as well.

Additionally, there were the satyrs and minotaurs who had taken refuge in Thunderhawk City. Orion intended to integrate them into his forces.

During the fall of the city, Orion had even spotted two harpies flying away. It was likely that news of Thunderhawk City's defeat would soon reach the ears of the lord of Thunderwood Forest.

The various races in Thunderhawk City weren't numerous, and the satyrs and some of the minotaurs had been enslaved. They served not only as part of the city's defense but also as food for Reynard and his sister.

In that sense, the gnolls were actually fortunate.

By noon, Dirtclaw finally entered the command center, looking utterly exhausted.

"Honorable Master, Dirtclaw reports!"

Orion glanced at Dirtclaw, noting the dark circles under his eyes. The gnoll hadn't slept for several nights, and it showed.

Last night, Dirtclaw and his gnoll subordinates had gone on a rampage, capturing and mating with the female satyrs. Only after receiving Orion's orders had Dirtclaw reluctantly stopped and completed his assigned task.

"Rise. Tell me about the gnolls."

Dirtclaw, still somewhat excited, began speaking animatedly, gesturing as he did.

"Honorable Master, I've executed all of Scrag's loyalists and kin!"

"As for the remaining bloodline warriors, they all follow me now. No, they all follow you, Chieftain Orion!"

Dirtclaw quickly corrected himself, realizing his mistake.

Orion didn't bother to chastise him, instead cutting straight to the point.

"Focus. How many gnoll warriors are there? How many are unscathed, how many are injured, and how many show potential?"

Orion's tone grew serious, and Dirtclaw immediately felt the weight of his authority pressing down on him.

Kneeling on one knee, Dirtclaw quickly reported the details Orion wanted to know.

"Honorable Master, I've gathered a total of 12,429 gnoll warriors. Of those, 2,000 are fully armed and equipped with leather armor."

"About 8,000 gnolls have partial armor, and over 2,000 are only armed with weapons."

Hearing this, Orion narrowed his eyes, falling into deep thought.

Dirtclaw, still kneeling, couldn't guess what Orion was thinking. He remained prostrate, waiting in silence.

The atmosphere in the temporary command center was heavy and oppressive. Dirtclaw felt the weight of it, especially since Prophet Onyx and Rendall were also silent, adding to the pressure.

After a long pause, Orion finally refocused his gaze on Dirtclaw.

"Dirtclaw, I have two more tasks for you."

"First, break up the gnoll forces. Integrate the fully armed gnolls into your own troops."

"Second, take the remaining gnolls, along with the satyrs and minotaurs, and organize them into cannon fodder troops."

"Tell them that if they perform well in battle, they can be promoted into your ranks."

Orion's orders were clear, and after a moment's thought, he added more.

"The cannon fodder troops performed well during the siege. Select a small number of elites from them and add them to your forces."

"Also, go to your master Delilah and request food. Make sure every member of the cannon fodder troops is well-fed."

Dirtclaw's eyes lit up as Orion spoke.

At that moment, Dirtclaw felt his forces growing larger and more powerful.

"Oh, and send out your scouts. I want to know the situation within a ten-mile radius."

Orion's tone was particularly serious with this last command.

Dirtclaw understood the importance of this task and nodded immediately.

"Understood! Dirtclaw will complete the chieftain's orders!"

"Go."

With that, the gnoll situation was temporarily settled.

Orion's arrangements had not gone unnoticed by the woman from the Garland Tribe.

Violet, the saintess of the Garland Tribe, was an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Her worldview had been shaken. She had assumed that these invading horde warriors were nothing but violent and reckless brutes. But the chieftain before her was not only powerful but also displayed a strategic mind and a sense of control.

Violet couldn't understand it, but she dared not speak.

Half an hour later, Elan, the chieftain of the Skytalon Tribe, entered the command center, escorted by Dace and Otho.

Elan noticed Violet immediately, recognizing the flower mark on her forehead.

He was surprised to see a member of the Garland Tribe still in Thunderhawk City.

"Elan, how are your people?"

Orion asked, showing concern for the Skytalon Tribe. After all, they had submitted to him, and Orion didn't want them to suffer losses that might hinder his plans to mass-tame flying beasts.

"Thank you for your concern, Master. We arrived in time, and most of my people are unharmed," Elan replied, his tone filled with gratitude.

"Good."

Orion nodded, then gestured toward the woman from the Garland Tribe.

"She's from the Garland Tribe. Do you know her?"

Elan shook his head, indicating that he didn't.

However, eager to make a good impression on Orion, Elan shared what he knew.

"During the summer, I heard Reynard mention that the lord had sent a team of Garland Tribe enchanters to reinforce the enchantments on Thunderhawk City's walls."

"I imagine she's one of those who stayed behind."

Elan's information brought a smile to Orion's face.

Good. It wasn't just one person—it was a whole team.

Teammates, family, kin—these were the perfect leverage for moral coercion.

Unconsciously, Orion's gaze toward Violet became more calculating, even a bit sinister.

Violet, sensing the shift in Orion's demeanor, felt a chill run down her spine.

...

A few hours later, Delilah entered with a smile, leading three veiled captives behind her. Seeing the captives, Orion's mood lifted—his targets for moral leverage had arrived.

However, things didn't go as smoothly as expected.

"My dear chieftain, just as you predicted, she wasn't alone..." Delilah began to report, but before she could finish, the three captives behind her suddenly glowed with magical energy, breaking free from their restraints.

Two of the captives charged directly at Orion, while the third rushed toward the bound woman, attempting to free her.

"Fools."

"Idiots!"

Prophet Onyx and Rendall were the first to react, both shouting in anger as they swiftly moved to block the attackers. In an instant, they grabbed the two captives charging at Orion.

"Leave them alive!" Orion commanded, standing still but releasing a wave of pressure that forced the third captive, who was trying to rescue the woman, to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the three would-be assassins were subdued.

This level of attack was laughably futile.

Orion stepped forward, approaching the woman who had remained silent. His voice was calm, almost polite.

"Now, can you tell me who you are?"

The woman glanced at the three captives but remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together.

"Elder!" Orion called out.

Rendall understood immediately, grinning wickedly as he grabbed one of the captives and twisted their arms behind their back, locking them in place.

A blood-curdling scream echoed through the room, causing the woman in front of Orion to flinch.

"What's your name?" Orion asked again, his tone still gentle.

The woman from the Garland Tribe remained silent, her lips trembling as if she were holding something back.

"Prophet!"

At Orion's command, Prophet Onyx calmly reached out his massive hand, moving toward the legs of one of the captives.

"Stop!" the woman cried out, her voice breaking the silence.

Orion raised his hand, and Prophet Onyx halted his movement.

With a smile, Orion stepped closer to the woman, his face nearly touching hers.

"Now, tell me, who are you?"

Orion was pleased. He had won this psychological battle.

"My name is Violet. I am the saintess of the Garland Tribe."

Orion nodded, unsurprised. Someone important enough to warrant a rescue attempt was bound to hold a significant position.

"And who are they?" Orion gestured toward the three captives who had just attempted the rescue.

"One is an elder of my tribe, and the other two are my handmaidens."

Orion nodded again, satisfied with Violet's cooperation.

"Why didn't you speak earlier?" Orion asked, his tone still polite but with a hint of curiosity.

"I was... afraid," Violet admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Orion paused, then chuckled softly. This saintess, Violet, was starting to intrigue him.

But his smile quickly faded, replaced by a cold, indifferent expression.

"Submit. Be enslaved by me."

"Otherwise, you die, and they die."

"And in the future, your entire Garland Tribe will die as well."

"I, Orion Stoneheart, will not allow a race as unique as yours, with your enchantment abilities, to serve my enemies."

Orion's words were harsh, filled with a deadly seriousness.

He wasn't bluffing. A race capable of enchanting walls and objects was a significant threat if left unchecked. If they couldn't be used by him, they had to be eliminated.

"Saintess, don't listen to him! Our chieftain and lord will come to rescue us!" one of the captives, still uninjured, shouted, trying to persuade Violet.

Orion turned his head, glancing at the captive with a cold, detached look.

"Rescue you?"

"Too bad. You won't live to see it."

With that, Orion called out, "Prophet."

Crack!

Prophet Onyx's massive hands closed around the captive, and with a sickening crunch, the captive's body was crushed, blood splattering across the floor.

"No...!"

"Stop...!"

But it was too late.

Violet and the remaining two captives screamed in horror, but Prophet Onyx ignored them completely.

"Submit. Be enslaved by me."

This time, Orion didn't ask. He summoned the power of his bloodline, forming a magical contract sigil in his hand, which he pressed against Violet's forehead.

The sigil met resistance, a strange force pushing back against the contract.

But Orion's Titan bloodline surged through him, and with a burst of power, he shattered the resistance, forcibly binding Violet to him with the contract.

Once the contract was sealed, Violet didn't panic. Instead, she remained calm, her expression serene.

"Your calmness surprises me," Orion remarked, deactivating his skill and looking at her with curiosity.

"Master, you are strong. Those two leaders of yours are also strong. We had no chance of escaping."

"Violet begs you to spare my two tribeswomen. I will convince them not to cause you any trouble."

Orion studied Violet for a moment, sensing something about her that he couldn't quite figure out.

"Don't worry. They're useful to me. I won't kill them."

Orion smiled, then turned to Delilah.

"Delilah, these two are yours to train. Teach them the rules of our horde."

Delilah grinned, stepping forward to bind the two remaining captives with slave contracts.

Orion watched the process closely, wary of another potential escape attempt.

Fortunately, the contracts were signed without incident. The two captives, still dazed from the illusions they had been under, submitted easily.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The smoothness of the process only deepened Orion's curiosity about Violet.

"What secrets does she hold?" Orion wondered, staring at Violet, lost in thought. There was something about her that made him both curious and slightly uneasy.

Uncontrollable elements were something Orion despised.

"Never mind. As long as I keep her close, I'll find out eventually."

Pushing his thoughts aside, Orion returned to his seat.

He looked at Violet and spoke in a calm, commanding tone.

"Violet, come here and tell me about your Garland Tribe."

He gestured for her to approach.

Violet hesitated but eventually walked over.

As she stood before him, Orion suddenly grabbed her, pulling her into his lap. His hand roamed freely over her chest, squeezing her breasts without restraint.

Violet tensed, wanting to resist, but quickly remembered her position. She remained still, not daring to move.

Orion grinned, signaling for Prophet Onyx, Rendall, and Delilah to sit down.

Rendall and Onyx returned to their seats without a word, their expressions indifferent.

Delilah, on the other hand, feigned jealousy, pouting as if she were upset about bringing Orion such a beautiful woman.

However, as the queen of the succubi, Delilah was always open-minded. In fact, she believed that only by doing so could she prove her man was a powerful chieftain and truly feel proud.