Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 360 The situation was unpredictable

"Do the Starveil Giants have any vassal races?"

Orion posed the question because, during the siege, he'd noticed more than just Blood Elves and Gnomes defending the city—there were also Gnolls and Beastmen among them.

Drakthul nodded respectfully before replying to Orion.

"Honored Lord, our Starveil Giant tribe does have two main vassal races: Gnolls and Beastmen.

They were conquered by Balor and made their homes in our territory, serving as our dependents."

Orion gave no response, but his guess was confirmed. With Gnolls and Beastmen as vassals, the city's troop numbers made sense.

"I recall seeing a cavalry unit in the city," Orion said, bringing up something else that had piqued his curiosity. Hovering above Stoneheart City earlier, he'd spotted a contingent of raptor cavalry.

"Honored Lord, under our former lord's leadership, our Starveil Giants constructed two special buildings: one is the Raptor Nest, and the other is the Flame-Tiger beast pens.

But those beast pens are still in the incubation stage. They aren't yet ready to mass-produce Flame-Tigers."

This revelation startled Orion. It also clearly astonished Delilah, Onyx, and the others in the palace—nobody had expected the southern Starveil Giants to be so wealthy and resourceful.

"Do we face any external threats in this territory?"

As quickly as the excitement rose, Orion forced himself to calm down. His voice, though quiet, carried through the throne room.

"Honored Lord, our ancestors once depended on the Blood Elves for survival, so we've historically offered them large annual tributes.

However, under Balor's rule, we'd already begun cutting back on those.

Within this region, aside from the Blood Elves, the Giants here were the mightiest force.

On occasion, slaver teams led by humans show up. They pose a threat to our clansmen living outside the city.

…"

Alpha-level Giant Drakthul delivered a thorough overview of Stoneheart City.

Overall, the Starveil Giants' internal situation was stable. Though King Balor had fallen, they now had a new Giant King, Orion, so the fundamentals of their existence wouldn't change overnight.

They'd already been a dominant power in the south—barring the Blood Elves and a smattering of human slaver bands, there weren't many who could challenge them. In other words, Stoneheart City was a prime staging ground for long-term growth. The key, of course, was Orion establishing a firm foothold.

Seated on the throne, Orion fell silent, lost in thought about securing the city and shaping its future. Only after a good while did he finally speak, his tone brooking no argument.

"Three days from now, the five of you will come with me when we press our invasion on the Blood Elves' City of Blessings.

Leave the rest of the bloodline warriors here in Stoneheart City. Just bring a hundred guards each."

Drakthul, Marnok, Gormathar, Veldrok, and Grulbane all prostrated themselves and roared, "We obey!" before leaving the hall.

As they withdrew, Orion couldn't help eyeing Grulbane—the Alpha-level Giant shaman. Such a figure was exceedingly rare, especially since the Stoneheart Horde had yet to produce an Alpha-level shaman of its own. Now wasn't the time for deeper discussion; once the invasion was settled, Orion would give the city—and its people—a proper reorganization.

"Lord, aren't you planning to make them sign any slave contracts?"

Slagor spoke up. In his mind, truly taking over Stoneheart City required binding those five Giants with formal oaths.

Orion shook his head. Drakthul, Marnok, Gormathar, Veldrok, and Grulbane had only just surrendered. They hadn't been let in on the Horde's real inner workings, nor were they holding any major authority. Forcing them to sign now was pointless.

Besides, Orion's public victory in the battle of the two Giant Kings had gifted him the title of "True Giant King," something not granted lightly. With that title, the Giants of Stoneheart City had little reason to betray him.

Glancing at Delilah, Onyx, Rockwell, Earthshaker, and Slagor, Orion briefly regretted not bringing Rendall or Thundar along. Either one of those two Giants could have made integrating Starveil City's inhabitants far more seamless. Giants tend to trust other Giants by nature, and Rendall or Thundar would have given him a distinct edge in winning them over.

"You five will remain here in Stoneheart City with our cannon-fodder troops. Learn everything about the place and assume control as quickly as you can.

I'll be issuing orders to reorganize the city's Giant forces into four armies—three infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment.

Delilah, you'll be assisting in that process. The guards Dace, Otho, Beyn, and Torba will take command of each regiment."

Orion had spent a long time mulling over this solution. With tens of thousands of Giant bloodline warriors in the city, having Alpha-level outsiders like Delilah, Onyx, Rockwell, Earthshaker, and Slagor directly lord over them could cause pushback—or even spark revolt.

But Dace, Otho, Beyn, and Torba—though all hero-level—had a special status as Orion's guards. That might make the Starveil Giants more likely to respect and follow them without conflict.

"Remember, before I return, use our cannon-fodder troops to repair the city walls and hold this place firmly.

All the spoils from this invasion go into storage here at Stoneheart City. From now on, this city is essentially our 'Blackstone City' of the south."

Orion's voice carried absolute authority. He deliberately invoked Blackstone City to emphasize how crucial Stoneheart City was to the Horde's future. At his words, Delilah, Onyx, and the others stood and bowed deeply, promising to defend the city at all costs.

"Off you go. There are things that can't move forward without your involvement."

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Taking their leave, Delilah, Onyx, and the rest exited the palace. Orion remained on the throne, alone with his thoughts.

He had no idea how this colossal north-south war would end.

Yes, the Northern Coalition had the White Dragon Frostsire's will projection on its side, but that was still no replacement for Frostsire's physical presence. The Blood Elves had been building up their homeland for thousands of years; it was impossible to imagine they had no countermeasures.

The situation was unpredictable, and the Northern Coalition wasn't exactly a model of unity. Orion saw trouble ahead—especially now that he'd stepped in and claimed Stoneheart City, tying his future to these new lands. He'd have to tread carefully.

If the invasion succeeded, great—he'd keep the Starveil Giants' territory as his own.

But if the campaign failed, the Northern Coalition would likely scatter to the winds, each faction retreating to its own domain. Orion wouldn't have that option. He already occupied Stoneheart City. Abandoning this new realm would be unthinkable—he was the Giant King to tens of thousands of Giant subjects. Fleeing would turn him into a laughingstock.

"Ah… This is trickier than I'd hoped."