Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Lycanor followed the line of Delilah's finger, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in the sight. She gave a faint hum of acknowledgement.

And so, the Warden from the blood elf race and the Elder of Stewardship of the Stoneheart Horde completed their first handover of duties and their first clash of wills. It was clear that Delilah, with the home-field advantage, had come out on top.

Three days later, Delilah summoned her Four-Winged Blood Bat and, leading a squad of the harpy Sentinel Corps, began the journey back to Stoneheart City.

Atop the great bat's back, Delilah gazed down upon the vast territory of the Stoneheart Horde, her heart calm, yet tinged with a familiar sense of dissatisfaction.

In truth, the two succubus sisters were Orion's most able consorts. Since they had joined the Stoneheart Horde, they had managed all of the clan's affairs, large and small, with meticulous order. Lilith, as Orion's wife, perfectly embodied the grace and magnanimity of a queen. Throughout the Horde, not a single negative word was spoken of her. All her people saw her as perfect, as supremely competent. Whether it was her management of the household or her raising of Orion's children, she was beyond reproach.

Her sister Delilah, meanwhile, was known to all as the Giant King's lover, and as the Grand Steward of the Stoneheart Horde. Beyond her own official duties, she would proactively step forward to secure every possible advantage for Lilith and for the succubus race.

The recent intimidation of Lycanor, for instance, was a task that rightly should have fallen to Lilith. As the wife, her authority to do so was unquestionable. But Lilith had to maintain a perfect image, both internally and externally; no scandal or stain could be allowed to touch her.

And so, all the dirty, tiring work fell to Delilah.

"Ah… I suppose I owe it to you. Who else is there to do it, since I'm the older sister? Hehehe…"

Though her sigh was one of complaint, Delilah could always find joy even in hardship, because she did it all willingly. But within that willingness, there was so much that she was not resigned to.

This time, to chasten Lycanor, she had been forced to invoke the names of Lumi and Soraya. For the proud, unyielding succubus queen, this was more painful than suffering a public humiliation herself.

If only I were a lord now, she thought, how different things would be.

In this moment, the presence of Orion's three Legendary-tier women placed an infinite pressure upon Lilith and Delilah.

In the Silvercurrent Sea, on the Serpent Isle.

A month had passed in the blink of an eye. Orion had long since stowed his ancient giant-horned whale and concealed his aura. Thus, when he, Lysinthia, and Slagor landed on the Serpent Isle, they did so in complete silence.

The Serpent Isle was not small at all; in fact, it was huge. Standing on a high point of the island, one could see an endless expanse of verdant jungle stretching to the horizon.

In the far distance, there were mountains and waterfalls, with streams rushing down from the peaks to feed wide, deep rivers that ultimately flowed into the sea. The environment was that of a tropical rainforest, far hotter than the Black Forest, indicating that the isle was located even further to the south.

In their own tongue, the serpentfolk called this island the continent of Jynx. Orion did not yet know its true size; he would leave all of that for Lysinthia to handle.

He had promised to let her deal with the serpentfolk here on her own, and he would not go back on his word. However, he could still build her a base of operations, giving her the foundation she needed to begin her conquest.

"My Lord, the initial survey of the surrounding area is complete," Slagor said, stepping forward to report on their progress. "Within a fifty-mile radius, the forest is dense and the rivers branch out frequently. Based on our observations, the courses of some tributaries may even change with the seasons."

The unspoken meaning was clear: the terrain was complex, and without a local guide, it would be easy to get lost.

Orion said nothing, merely gesturing for Slagor to continue.

"In the nearby forests, we have found tracks of numerous porcupine-beasts, deer, and large snakes. Based on our estimates, the beasts here are mostly high-tier, likely between levels four and six.

Furthermore, most of the rivers are home to sea beasts and crocodiles. We have not yet detected the creatures that may be lurking in the darker, deeper waters."

Slagor's report was detailed. Seeing that Orion and Lysinthia were listening intently, he went on.

"The mountains on the island contain many large caves. They are very deep, and hissing sounds often emanate from within. Our men speculate that these caves are likely lairs for a great number of python-like beasts."

"My Lord, this island is filled with unknown dangers. It would be best if we proceed with caution."

Orion didn't speak, instead turning his gaze to Lysinthia.

"The caves definitely hold snake-beasts," she said with certainty. "Those will be snake swarms raised by the serpentfolk. The caves are the nests they find for their young." She had lived on this island once and knew some of their customs.

"Where do you think we should establish our camp?"

The so-called beasts and serpentfolk were of no concern to Orion. Those were problems for Lysinthia to worry about later. His task now was to find a suitable location, expend a Lord's Stone, and construct a starting point for her campaign. Of course, he also needed to set up an intra-realm teleportation array to facilitate communication and reinforcements between the Serpent Isle and Blackstone City.

"Right on this mountain," Lysinthia said, looking at Orion, her eyes filled with a pleading desire. "We landed here, so let us begin here."

"Recall all troops except for the scouts and patrols," Orion said, turning to give the order directly to Slagor. "Have them begin building a defensive castle using local materials."

They had brought twenty Sea-Devouring Warships, each capable of carrying five thousand soldiers, for a total of one hundred thousand. Minus those who remained to guard the ships and those sent out to scout, a large portion could be used as a temporary labor force.

In truth, this hard labor would not last for long. Slagor and Lysinthia only needed to hold out until the defensive castle was built. With so many bloodline warriors gathered in one place, the serpentfolk would soon react, and war would inevitably follow. When war breaks out, there is never a shortage of prisoners. They could then use those prisoners to construct the Stoneheart Horde's first city on the Serpent Isle, feeding the war with war.

"As you command, My Lord!"

The prospect of war was exciting for Slagor; it was a chance to earn battle achievements. While he would not interfere directly in Lysinthia's war with the serpentfolk, guarding the camp and providing her with a secure rear base was a great contribution in itself. And as the war continued, the opportunities for glory would only multiply.

"Build the castle and the underground teleportation plaza first," Orion instructed. "Once the array is active, the Horde will dispatch specialized personnel to properly construct the city."

In the Emerald Dream Realm, at the Marshlight Sanctuary.

Though this was Orion's territory, he had left the temporary palace Leonidas had built here standing. Now, with Leonidas visiting, it was being put to good use.

Inside the palace, Leonidas and Orion sat on the floor. Between them was a lavish spread of food—meat and wine, pastries and fruit, a feast fit for kings.