Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

"It\'s fine. Let him learn from this," Rendall replied. "Orion is still young—only 11 years old. He needs to grow, and without facing challenges, how can he become the pillar of our tribe?"

Clymene nodded in agreement. Rendall wasn\'t wrong.

"Go rest, Elder. I\'ll keep watch here. If anything happens, I\'ll send someone to notify you."

"Alright."

With that, Elder Rendall, accompanied by two guards, returned to his tent.

Clymene gazed toward the stone wall where Orion stood, silently praying that the creatures drawn to the valley wouldn\'t be too powerful.

But fate had other plans.

---

Barely a quarter of an hour later, Orion, standing atop the stone wall, was the first to sense something amiss.

He stood up, his eyes scanning the dark, snow-covered horizon. A strange, piercing sound, like the screech of an insect, echoed through the air.

*Hissss...*

Behind him, the four giant elders also stood, following Orion\'s gaze into the distance.

Moments later, Elder Slate gasped in horror.

"It\'s a Voidcrawler! A beast on par with a hero-level monster!"

Elder Slate\'s voice trembled with fear.

Almost immediately, Slate turned to his guards and barked orders.

"Quick! Go notify the chieftain and Elder Rendall!"

Orion frowned slightly, glancing at Slate, whose face was pale with terror. The other three elders didn\'t look much better.

Orion stared into the distance, then spoke calmly.

"Hold the gate. I\'ll deal with this dark creature."

Before anyone could respond, Orion leaped from the wall.

At the same time, his Abyssal Dragon appeared outside the gate, catching Orion as he landed on its back.

In the next moment, a set of bone armor grew from the Abyssal Dragon\'s body, enveloping both the dragon and Orion.

This was the effect of the Ghostbone Armor, which Orion had equipped on the Abyssal Dragon. The armor could evolve and strengthen itself by consuming bones, making it a formidable defense.

ROAR!

The Abyssal Dragon, having spotted the approaching enemy, let out a thunderous roar and charged forward.

As they closed the distance, Orion finally got a clear view of the Voidcrawler.

The creature resembled a massive centipede, but far larger—about 100 feet long—and it was flying low to the ground. Its body was lined with countless thin, writhing appendages that propelled it through the air at incredible speed.

Orion, with all his strength, hurled his spear toward the Voidcrawler. The spear sliced through the air, leaving a trail of energy as it hurtled toward the creature.

*BAM!*

The spear shattered on impact, leaving only a shallow dent in the Voidcrawler\'s exoskeleton. A trickle of black blood oozed from the wound.

Hissss...

The Voidcrawler screeched in fury, enraged by Orion\'s attack. It accelerated, diving straight toward him.

Orion raised an eyebrow, feeling a mix of frustration and regret. His strength was immense, but the spear he had thrown was of poor quality, unable to withstand the force of his throw. Had the weapon been stronger, it might have pierced the Voidcrawler\'s body and inflicted serious damage.

Seeing that his spear had little effect, Orion drew his trident, preparing for close combat.

In the next instant, the Abyssal Dragon and the Voidcrawler collided, engaging in a brutal melee.

The Abyssal Dragon lunged at the Voidcrawler\'s head, its sharp teeth aiming for the creature\'s skull. At the same time, its claws swiped at the Voidcrawler\'s lower jaw.

But it was all in vain.

Just as the Abyssal Dragon was about to land a hit, a thick cloud of dark green mist spewed from the Voidcrawler\'s mouth, forming a solid shield that blocked the dragon\'s attack.

In the next moment, three pairs of razor-sharp claws extended from the Voidcrawler\'s body—one near its head, one in the middle, and one at its tail. These claws were longer and sharper than its other appendages.

The Voidcrawler dodged the Abyssal Dragon\'s bite, using its newly extended claws to push off the ground and launch itself into the air. It then dove toward the Abyssal Dragon\'s back, aiming to strike from above.

The Abyssal Dragon reacted quickly. Though its head and claws couldn\'t reach the Voidcrawler, it still had its tail.

With a swift motion, the dragon whipped its tail around, slamming it into the Voidcrawler\'s body.

Screeeeech!

The Voidcrawler\'s body stiffened mid-air, emitting a high-pitched screech as it was struck. But despite the injury, the creature\'s ferocity didn\'t wane. It continued its assault, dragging its wounded body toward the Abyssal Dragon.

*BAM!*

The Voidcrawler managed to latch onto the Abyssal Dragon\'s back.

Despite the massive size of the Abyssal Dragon, the Voidcrawler was nearly twice its length.

With its claws and appendages, the Voidcrawler began furiously slashing at the bone armor covering the Abyssal Dragon\'s back, trying to pierce through to the flesh beneath.

*Clang! Clang!*

The sound of claws scraping against bone echoed through the battlefield, reminding Orion, who had just leaped onto the Voidcrawler\'s back, that this was his chance.

---

From the stone wall, Clymene and Rendall had already been alerted to the battle. They rushed to the scene with reinforcements.

Watching Orion and the Abyssal Dragon locked in combat with the Voidcrawler, both Clymene and Rendall felt a mix of excitement and anxiety.

Excitement, because the Blackstone Giants finally had someone capable of standing toe-to-toe with such a massive dark creature.

In the past, the Blackstone Giants had encountered Voidcrawlers before, though none as large as this one. Even so, those encounters had cost the tribe dearly, with many bloodline warriors losing their lives just to drive the creatures away.

But anxiety, because they didn\'t want Orion or the Abyssal Dragon to be injured. The tribe would need their strength to survive the rest of the winter and the impending dark beast tides.

---

Outside the gate, the battle raged on.

The Abyssal Dragon, protected by the Ghostbone Armor and its own scales, was holding its ground. The Voidcrawler, despite its relentless attacks, couldn\'t land a critical blow.

Meanwhile, the Abyssal Dragon\'s counterattacks were taking their toll. Each time the dragon whipped its tail or snapped its jaws, the Voidcrawler\'s body was torn open, leaving its flesh bloodied and raw.

But the Voidcrawler\'s resilience was terrifying. Even with its injuries, it continued to fight with undiminished ferocity.

Orion, now standing atop the Voidcrawler\'s back, gripped his trident tightly.

This was his moment.