Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Orion didn't say another word, because becoming stronger was also Delilah's desire.

According to Orion's rules, the next in line to obtain an Alpha-level core, after Prophet Onyx, had already appeared—Lilith.

Lilith had reached the peak of Hero-level first, leaving behind elders like Thundar, Earthshaker, Delilah, Slate, and Samson.

As for who would be next, Thundar and Delilah had the best chances, as both were on the verge of reaching the Hero-level peak.

As the queen of the succubi, Delilah did not want her younger sister to surpass her.

"Prophet, you and Delilah guard the south gate. I'll check out the other areas."

"As you command, chieftain. Rest assured."

Orion nodded and, along with Lysinthia and a group of guards, began patrolling from the west to the east.

The western mountains of Moonshadow Valley were relatively secure. Below the mountains was a steep slope, and at the bottom of the slope ran a river, forming a natural barrier.

The eastern mountains, however, always gave Orion an uneasy feeling whenever he patrolled there.

Just like this time, as Orion stood on the stone wall of the eastern mountains, a sudden sense of dread washed over him.

"You all wait here. I'm going down to investigate ."

Orion instructed Lysinthia and the others, then, following his instincts, drew his trident and leapt over the stone wall, sliding down toward the canyon below.

Before long, Orion reached the canyon floor. He had explored this area before but had found nothing.

This time, however, as he gazed into the bottomless crevice, he didn't hesitate and jumped in.

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As he descended, the only sound in his ears was the rush of wind.

Thud!

Half an hour later, Orion thrust his trident into the rock wall, standing on it as he peered into the still-bottomless crevice. His nerves were on edge.

This was unbelievable!

The deeper Orion went, the wider the crevice became. It felt as though he was entering some kind of underground world.

This change filled Orion with a sense of unfamiliarity and the unknown, along with a hint of fear.

Orion pondered for a moment. Above him was the pitch-black night, and below him was the abyssal darkness. He decided to take this opportunity to explore further.

Pulling out his trident, Orion continued his descent along the rock wall.

...

An hour later, Orion finally reached the bottom of the crevice.

The environment was eerie. The ground was littered with small stones, and occasionally, he spotted the remains of mysterious beasts.

Seeing this, Orion was certain—this place was far from dead.

Holding his trident, he surveyed his surroundings before heading toward the wider part of the crevice.

As he moved forward, the jagged rocks and strange formations gave the impression that something monstrous was lurking in the shadows, sending chills down his spine.

Squeak, squeak, squeak...

Another hour passed, and Orion began to feel something was off.

The surroundings were unnerving, possibly a trick of the eye.

But the squeaking sound he just heard confirmed that some kind of creature had its eyes on him.

Orion reached into his Bagbird pouch and pulled out a bundle of spears, slinging them over his back.

He stood still, not moving a muscle, even slowing his breathing.

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

This time, the sound had changed from squeaking to a rustling noise. Whatever it was, it was getting closer.

Orion's mind went silent. He listened intently, his eyes scanning every direction, his body tense and ready for battle.

Suddenly, Orion spun around, leaping backward as he hurled a spear.

Thud!

The spear hit its mark, but the creature didn't seem fazed and continued its charge.

Orion retreated again, finally getting a clear look at his attacker.

It was a terrifying, caterpillar-like creature covered in three-meter-long spikes. Its body stretched over sixty feet, thick and grotesque, with eight pairs of uneven, pale green eyes that were downright horrifying.

With just a glance, Orion knew—he couldn't let this thing get close.

No way could he fight this thing in close combat!

Orion turned and ran, his mind racing for a plan.

This creature was definitely Alpha-level, and not just any Alpha-level.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

What puzzled Orion was that the creature wasn't emitting any of the usual Alpha-level aura or pressure. Its presence was incredibly well-hidden.

"Damn it! No wonder I always felt uneasy patrolling the eastern mountains. This thing's been hiding here all along!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The familiar sound from behind made Orion's hair stand on end.

Without thinking, he dove to the side in a roll.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Three spikes, like javelins, embedded themselves deep into the spot where Orion had just been standing. Judging by the force, getting hit would have meant serious injury.

The creature, seeing its spikes miss, let out a long screech and charged at Orion again.

Orion didn't dare waste any time. He was already on his feet, sprinting deeper into the crevice, searching for a better place to fight.

And so, the chase began.

Orion activated Shadowstep, weaving in a serpentine pattern, narrowly dodging the creature's relentless attacks.

He felt frustrated. Usually, he was the one throwing spears at others. Now, he was the one being hunted by a giant bug. And to make matters worse, the damn thing was trying to skewer him with its spikes.

About an hour later, Orion came to a halt. He couldn't keep running—there was a massive, bottomless chasm in front of him.

With the abyss ahead and the creature behind, Orion was trapped.

In that split second, Orion's eyes lit up. He had a plan.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Orion hurled all the spears from his back, but they weren't aimed at the creature.

Thud, thud, thud—the spears lodged into the rock wall. Orion leapt, grabbing onto one of the spears and swinging himself across the chasm like King Kong.

Boom, boom, boom...

Meanwhile, the creature's spikes rained down like machine-gun fire, drilling holes into the rock where Orion had just been.

Using the spears embedded in the wall, Orion swung six times before finally landing behind the creature.

The creature turned, charging at Orion once more.

Orion's eyes gleamed, and a blood-red light flashed from his chest. The massive form of an Abyssal Dragon appeared before him.

This time, the dragon didn't charge into battle. Instead, it opened its mouth and began gathering energy for an Abyssal Flame Bomb.

Boom!

The explosion lit up the entire crevice.

Orion squinted, watching closely as the creature was hit by the Abyssal Flame Bomb.

However, the creature wasn't killed.

In the split second before impact, it had curled into a ball, taking the full force of the blast.

Most of its spikes had been blown off, and green liquid oozed from its body, but it wasn't fatally wounded.

Seeing this, Orion's nerves tightened, his mind heavy with concern.

But then, as he noticed where the creature had been blasted to, a smile crept across his face.

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