Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1426: New Broodmother

"I am aware of your organization’s creed. I will not restrict your movements, nor will I impede your trade."

"I have but one question for you," Orion said, his voice dropping an octave. "Are you willing to accept the position of Master of the Stoneheart Horde’s Cross-Realm Trade Guild?"

It was an olive branch, offered freely.

For Tristan, a member of the Silent Coin Trading Alliance, accepting the title of Guild Master for the Stoneheart Horde was not a conflict of interest; it was a catalyst. holding such a position within a rising power like the Horde would cause his status within the Alliance to skyrocket.

It was a win-win arrangement. Tristan would gain prestige, and the Stoneheart Horde would gain a legitimate commercial channel to other worlds.

"It would be my honor!"

Without a second of hesitation, Tristan dropped to his knees, accepting the offer with profound enthusiasm.

In truth, his original plan for coming to the Stoneheart Horde involved a long, arduous process of slowly maneuvering himself into the Giant King’s line of sight. He hadn’t expected the high-and-mighty ruler to simply hand him the opportunity on a silver platter, skipping the most difficult steps entirely.

It felt as though fortune hadn’t just smiled on him; it had tackled him to the ground.

"This is Blackstone City," Orion said, leaning back. "I trust you will find it to your liking."

"I have looked forward to this for a long time."

Tristan was a sharp man; he knew a dismissal when he heard one. Ignoring his unfamiliarity with the castle’s layout, he bowed deeply and backed out of the Horde Hall.

Fortunately, a succubus maid was waiting just outside the great doors to guide him to the guest quarters in the adjacent tower.

"Orion, is he from another world?" Lilith asked the moment Tristan was gone, unable to contain her curiosity.

"No... he is human, born of the Titanion Realm. He is simply a lucky bastard chosen by the Silent Coin Trading Alliance."

Luck was a factor, certainly, but Tristan wouldn’t have been selected if he didn’t possess ironclad competence. The man was a genuine talent.

"Establishing a cross-realm guild will require significant material support," Orion continued. "Hear out Tristan’s proposals first before making any final decisions."

"Also, do you remember that list of materials for forging relics I gave you? Hand it to Tristan. Consider it his initiation test for the position of Guild Master."

Lilith nodded, accepting the task. Then, her expression shifted, her eyes narrowing as she broached a new subject.

"Orion, those Wormholes you spoke of... they have appeared in both Stoneheart City and Golden Pearl."

"We destroyed the Larvae hiding within them immediately," she added quickly. "But do you want to see for yourself?"

The Golden Pearl was the territory of the Scorpion Horde. As that horde grew in power, it was natural for them to attract insectoid phenomena.

Stoneheart City, however, had attracted the Wormholes because of the Flying Fish Mayflies Lilith had been secretly cultivating.

The Flying Fish Mayflies were a swarm-type magical beast, technically a subset of the insect race. They were Lilith’s hidden ace, bred deep underground to defend Stoneheart City, kept entirely secret from the outside world.

"I’ll take a look."

Orion scooped Lilith up into his arms, and their forms vanished from the Horde Hall.

Stoneheart City, Underground Chamber

The floor was littered with discarded pupal casings and slick, azure secretions. The thousands of Flying Fish Mayfly eggs that usually lined the chamber were gone, transferred into the dimensional pocket within the anomaly.

"The Wormholes Realm is behind the chamber," Lilith said.

Following her lead, Orion moved quickly to the rear of the cavern, where a bottomless black void was embedded into the earth.

Inside the void lay the fragmented dimension—the Wormholes Realm.

Orion and Lilith dropped into the darkness, landing silently within the pocket world.

"Master!"

"Master!"

Two guards stationed at the perimeter immediately snapped to attention. They were imposing figures, wielding long spears and bearing longbows and quivers at their waists. Transparent wings sprouted from their backs.

Most striking were their eyes—or lack thereof. They possessed pupil-less cyan orbs, and embedded across their foreheads were clusters of multifaceted compound eyes.

"They are Mayfly Guards," Lilith explained, seeing the surprise on Orion’s face. She didn’t wait for him to ask. "When the laws of the world shifted, they were among the beneficiaries."

"Beyond a massive increase in hatching rates, some have evolved into Insectfolk," she continued, gesturing to the sentries. "These are just two of them. There are more Insectfolk further in, tending to the new clutches of eggs."

Lilith waved her hand, and the two guards immediately returned to their posts.

"What surprised me even more," Lilith said as she led the way, "is that a Broodmother was born among the Flying Fish Mayfly swarm."

"I named her Myxara."

Lilith dropped the revelation casually, though it was the primary reason she had invited Orion here. Whether for observation or intimidation, she needed Orion’s presence to cement control. They were husband and wife; every move they made carried weight.

Orion understood her intent perfectly. That was why he had come.

"Myxara greets the two Lords!"

Before they even reached the core of the Wormholes Realm, a strange woman emerged to meet them. She wore a dress of gauzy, translucent material. Transparent wings folded behind her, and her head was crowned with compound eyes. She bowed low, trembling.

She differed from the other Insectfolk guards; mysterious cyan-gold runes traced their way from the corners of her eyes down the curve of her neck.

"Alpha level!"

Orion stepped forward, scrutinizing the newly ascended Broodmother.

Myxara kept her head bowed, not daring to look up at him. Even with the compound eyes atop her head, she instinctively shut down her vision. The gap in power was too vast; merely standing in Orion’s presence made her body shudder uncontrollably.

"Do not resist."

Orion closed the distance, placing his large hand directly onto her head.

In the next instant, his divine power surged, flooding into Myxara’s sea of consciousness.

He saw her memories. It had happened on a pitch-black night after the world’s rules had changed. The once-peaceful swarm of mayflies had turned agitated, then violent. Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps the species had hit a genetic bottleneck. The swarm had turned on itself, fighting and cannibalizing one another.

Broodmother Myxara was the victor of that brutal natural selection. She was the first of the Flying Fish Mayflies to evolve into one of the Insectfolk.

Lilith had established a contract with her before the evolution, but this invitation was to ensure absolute control and to verify the creature’s nature.

Scouring Myxara’s consciousness, Orion found no trace of betrayal.

What he did find, however, was a desperate hunger for the world outside and a fanatical drive to expand her species.