Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Grand Duke Richard chuckled and deftly steered the conversation away from the topic of commercial trading rights.

Orion held a firm stance, believing it was not the right time to continue discussing the matter. Casting a faint smile, he looked at Grand Duke Richard, already pegging him in his mind as a shrewd merchant.

Right then, Grand Duke Richard turned his gaze toward the arena; the battle was about to start.

"For what I trust in my heart, I shall fight. That is my faith, and it defines my knightly spirit!"

"For the human kingdom, for what we believe in!"

In the arena, a nameless knight stood with a shield in one hand and a sword in the other, chanting softly under his breath as though offering a prayer.

Roar!

Amid the roar of a beast, the nameless knight banged his shield with his longsword, becoming more and more roused, his eyes shining with unwavering determination.

Moments later, the Scythe-footed beast (dark creatures) lifted its scythe-like forelimbs and charged. Undaunted, the knight raised his shield to meet the impact. Discover hidden stories at NovelBin.Côm

After the initial collision, upon realizing he wasn’t knocked off his feet, the knight’s eyes filled with excitement. This was a conservative battle of endurance, a clash between an enormous shield and sickle-like claws.

In the end, after two hours, the knight cast aside his shield—which was battered down to a fragment—and, drenched in blood, managed to slay the Scythe-footed beast.

"Lord Jorik, looks like Lady Luck is on my side."

Grand Duke Richard put away the scroll in his hand, a smile curling at his lips.

Orion glanced at him and began to ponder. The human kingdom had occupied the far southern regions for over ten thousand years, amassing a solid foundation in both equipment and martial techniques—so much so that they had formed a fully developed system.

Just like that knight moments ago: yes, his enormous shield gave him an advantage, but without compatible Shield Warrior battle skills, there would have been no way to defeat an alpha-level dark creature that was above his rank. It was a hard-fought victory, nearly a narrow escape.

Looking at that knight reminded Orion of his own Shield Warrior Training Camp. The Thunderstorm Bearmen, who had remained at Stoneheart Horde since Orion headed south last year, had begun training.

According to Lilith’s data, only around a hundred had successfully transferred to Shield Warrior status. Forming a large Shield Warrior army would still require time.

"Ugh… time is the only thing we’re short on," Orion thought to himself. Both he and the Stoneheart Horde needed time to accumulate strength.

"There’s still one last dark creature left, and now it’s the Blood Elves’ turn!"

With a smile, Jorik snapped his fingers, and the final alpha-level dark creature was released. Although he had lost a bet on the previous fight, Jorik’s face was devoid of any disappointment, as though nothing had happened.

After hearing this, the Blood Elf Grand Elder Lireesa glanced at the Blood Elf warrior at her side, personally choosing him to step forward.

Clearly, after their initial defeat, Lireesa had become more cautious. Also, no one wanted to simply hand over an alpha-level dark creature, since it was a precious resource.

When that elf warrior turned to prepare, Lireesa looked at Jorik.

"Lord Jorik, why don’t we have some fun with this one, too?"

Jorik heard Lireesa’s invitation, shook his head, and offered a lighthearted smile, refusing her request. The Blood Elves, after suffering one casualty, seemed ready to go all-out. This time, the fighter they fielded would surely be their strongest. Betting against them now would almost guarantee a loss. Although the dragon race had some hidden reserves, Jorik was no fool.

"I don’t have anything the Blood Elves need, Lady Lireesa. Perhaps you could ask these three gentlemen."

Lireesa’s gaze swept over Orion and the others, her eyes roaming with hesitation. Yet when she finally looked at Orion, her eyes lit up.

"Orion, would you be interested in the show to come?"

Orion nodded, taking a swig from his wineskin. In truth, he wasn’t even slightly intrigued by the upcoming fight, but he was curious about what Lireesa wanted.

"Lady Lireesa, what do you have your eye on?"

Orion glanced at the group, speaking in a casual tone.

"That territory near the southern border of the giants!"

He understood immediately. During the civil war between the North and South, the Blood Elves had ceded large tracts of territory. The territory bordering the giants to the south was handed over to him by Bluehide and Lokiviria when the lands were partitioned.

"I’m sorry, but I refuse any bet involving territory."

Lireesa’s eyes flickered with momentary disappointment, and she did not press the matter. It was impractical to attempt winning back land through a single duel.

Jorik had regained the land near Dragonflame Isle from the dwarves only because of its distinctive geography and its distance from the dwarves’ core lands, making Dain the dwarf prophet more willing to agree.

Another hour or so passed, and the Blood Elf warrior used a magical bow and arrows to slowly wear down the dark creature and eventually kill it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the opening show is over. Now, let’s move on to the main event."

Once the fight in the arena concluded, Jorik cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention.

"In the South, we share common interests—and a common destiny."

"No one can predict when the next Northern-Southern war will break out or who will instigate it."

Jorik’s smile had vanished, replaced by a grave expression. His voice dropped in pitch, steady and serious, as he addressed the assembled lords.

"The dragons need peace. You humans, dwarves, Blood Elves, and giants all need a stable environment."

"So I propose that our five races form an alliance: avoiding mutual slaughter, reducing infighting, trusting one another, opening trade routes, and establishing free trade to exchange resources."

"I promise that all our dragon cities will be open to you."

Silence fell, and the meeting hall grew still. Orion lowered his head, taking sip after sip of his drink.

If this Five-Race Alliance could be established as Jorik suggested—everyone working together and trading openly—it would be a win-win situation for most.

However, in this scenario, the humans, Blood Elves, and dwarves would be at an advantage, while the giants would undoubtedly lose out. Economically and technologically, humans, Blood Elves, and dwarves had been developing in the South for over ten thousand years, making their internal systems and economies quite refined. The giants, on the other hand, still lagged behind. @@novelbin@@

Then there were the dragons, who, thanks to Frostsire’s formidable power, held an edge in several rare resources—sometimes even a total monopoly.