Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

"The sun will have no afterglow, the constellations will turn to dust, life will wither."

"The apocalypse will come. What awaits you will ultimately be death and damnation."

Orion felt that what he said wasn't particularly shocking.

He wasn't trying to scare Lolth either, because the fate of the Emerald Dream Realm truly had a high probability of being so.

Of course, Orion didn't mention a single word about the root cause or the process leading to this outcome.

Orion put away the precious materials Lolth had teleported over. He himself was muttering inwardly, wondering how to begin persuading the Queen of the Blind Spiders on the other side.

Everything he had just said—how terrifying the future would be, how difficult the disaster would be to resist—was all groundwork for the next step: persuading Lolth to surrender.

"Is the apocalypse truly coming?"

This was Lolth's whisper, because she could discern that Orion wasn't lying.

Or perhaps, Orion possessed an even higher-tier power that was influencing her ability to judge.

"Do you want to know the truth?"

Orion's calm voice sounded, carrying a faint trace of bewitchment.

In Orion's understanding, there were many ways to persuade someone.

Here, Orion chose to present the facts and let the facts speak for themselves.

Because only in this way could he continue to reason with Lolth, and only then could this topic be discussed further.

To put it more crudely, only by grounding it in reality could he continue to coax Lolth, and even specifically promise her the moon.

"Do you want to survive this disaster?"

Orion posed this question from Lolth's perspective.

Thinking for others, considering others, offering suggestions to others, and even methods to solve their problems.

This would increase the persuasive power of Orion's words and gain others' trust.

This was what Orion was striving for.

And that wasn't all.

"Do you want to lead your people behind you to survival?"

"To find a true paradise for your people?"

Orion threw out two more questions, striking directly at Lolth's vulnerabilities.

Survival was a theme that no species could avoid.

Moreover, for a broodmother of a clan, the responsibility and survival of a huge population was a pressure Lolth almost bore alone.

Whether it was natural selection or survival of the fittest, the law of the jungle was truth, and the survival of the adaptable was the result.

Now, Orion had pushed the chance to choose and adapt right in front of Lolth.

At this moment, Orion himself felt that he and Lolth were on the same side, that he was considering things for her.

"Coincidentally, I have a way to save you and your entire clan."

"However, you should understand that such a thing definitely comes at a price."

"As for what price... once you've thought it through, we can continue this conversation."

Orion's tone was no longer nonchalant but had taken on a note of caution, even meticulous care.

He wanted Lolth to understand that this was her lifeline.

She had obtained this opportunity because she was fortunate enough to encounter Orion; she should be grateful to him.

Lolth on the other side of the void passage said nothing, as she had already sunk into deep thought and speculation.

Lolth had taken everything Orion said to heart.

However, it was impossible for Lolth to make a decision immediately.

Lolth, capable of becoming a lord and a clan's broodmother, understood that a leader must make decisions in a calm state.

And right now, Lolth was clearly not calm.

A glance at the mist on the other side of the void passage, which had thickened again, indicated at least that Lolth's mind was currently in turmoil.

Dream mist, in most cases, reflected the caster's inner thoughts.

"If this one isn't willing to surrender, what should I say next?"

"Tell her the truth? That might be inappropriate!"

"I don't mind, but I'm afraid saying it would scare her to death."

"..."

In reality, Orion was also pondering what to do next to easily and pleasantly persuade Lolth to sign the contract.

Orion wasn't a negotiation expert, nor was his eloquence particularly good; he was also finding it difficult.

He had proposed the idea in the Champions Alliance and was personally executing the plan; he didn't want it to fall through and lose face with his allies.

Orion, the King of Giants, was actually quite ordinary in this regard; he cared a lot about his reputation.

Shadowcrag Forest, unnamed valley.

Hyenas are dark creatures that prefer to hunt at night, but for the leaders within the pack, they are always at leisure.

Why is that?

Because apart from eating and sleeping, they spend long periods in their mating season.

Just like those nobles in human kingdoms: they aren't the ones planting crops, they aren't the ones fending off enemies, and they aren't the ones hunting.

Gravehowl was an existence similar to human nobles; it was the Alpha of this hyena pack, the Hyena King who got the first bite of the prey.

Ooo... oowooo...

Outside the valley, sporadic, whimpering howls of hyenas suddenly sounded.

In a hyena pack, this was a warning sound, meaning enemies were approaching the vicinity of the valley.

Gravehowl opened its eyes from a deep sleep, its eyes like two fist-sized emeralds, glinting with violence and ferocity.

When Gravehowl stood up, its powerful body was no less imposing than those of Alpha-level dark creatures.

What was most striking was Gravehowl's fur color: a rare mix of red and black.

In this Emerald Dream Realm, dominated by dark and deep colors, Gravehowl's appearance was flamboyant.

"Which damned neighbor has come to the outskirts of the valley?"

"Don't they want to live anymore?"

"Or have the nearby dark races challenged me, wanting to occupy this valley and seize my home?"

Gravehowl let out a low whimper, then bit open a pup beside it with one snap.

Gravehowl looked up at the sky; it was completely dark, and its mood wasn't good.

"Oowooo... Damn it, don't let me catch the intruder!"

"I'll bite its neck off and devour it completely, starting from its asshole."

However, just then, the whimpering of the hyenas outside the valley became more urgent and more miserable.

This was the signal for battle!

Roar!

Gravehowl the Hyena King let out a roar. Instantly, all the sleeping hyenas in the valley awoke and immediately entered a battle-ready state.

Howl!

At the same time, four huge dark shadows suddenly appeared high in the sky above the valley. A terrifying aura swept down, crashing into the entire hyena pack like a tsunami.

Oowooo!

Two more deep, resonant howls sounded. They came from Gravehowl the Hyena King's two brothers, also Alpha-level.

Together, they ruled this valley and occupied the nearby territory.

Unfortunately, it was a bit too late.

At this moment, a large number of skeleton warriors also surged into the valley entrance, along with small scorpions that had quietly buried themselves underground, ready to ambush at any time.

Following them were the invading armies led by Earthshaker, Gronthar, and Drakthul.

"Haha... three Alpha-level dark creatures, and quite sturdy ones at that."

"Gronthar, Drakthul, are you interested?"

The speaker was Earthshaker. As he said this, his body had already shot forward.

Gronthar and Drakthul exchanged a glance, a flash of delight in both their eyes.