Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1432: Blood and Stone

"Let us become a true family!"

That was the core of Magmus’s philosophy.

It was simple, really. To him, the whelps he had grown up alongside were his brothers. It didn’t matter if they were Giants, Gnolls, or Golems. They were kin. The blood transformation wasn’t about changing who they were; it was about infusing that emotional bond into their very veins, sublimating their loyalty into power.

"Elders, don’t look at me like I’ve grown a second head," Magmus said, shrugging his massive shoulders as if the weight of his proposal was nothing.

"I guarantee you, the young Gnolls, the Succubi, the Buffalofolk... they’re all thinking the exact same thing. Right now, I bet they’re bouncing off the walls of their estates, desperate to get into the Stoneheart Temple. They’re just waiting for the chance to grab a power that sets them apart."

He clenched a fist. "This is an opportunity for us. A chance to surpass our peers. A chance to surpass you."

Fanaticism. Urgency. Hunger. Openness. Ambition.

This was the Magmus that Onyx, Rockwell, and Gort saw before them. Or perhaps, after years of stagnation, they were finally seeing the true face of the next generation—a generation distinct from their own.

"Hahahaha... forgive my old eyes. I underestimated you whelps!"

Onyx threw his head back and laughed. The worries that had plagued him suddenly seemed ridiculous. The first major races to submit to the Stoneheart Horde had blended together imperceptibly over the years. The newer races, seeing that example, had followed suit.

"Prophet, the world has changed," Rockwell murmured. His spirit was partially inherited from Onyx; they shared many of the same thoughts.

"Perhaps it changed long ago, and we were just too blind to see it," Gort chuckled. The heavy atmosphere on the ridge began to lighten.

"If that is the case," Gort declared, "then let us merge completely into the Stoneheart Horde."

"Yes. Let us become a true family, in blood and stone."

"This is our Stoneheart Horde."

***

To the South, under the cover of a storm-lashed night.

Aldwyn, accompanied by his wife and daughter, arrived at the borders of the Stoneheart Horde looking like a vagrant savage.

When they stumbled into the patrol range and saw the soldiers of Stoneheart City, it was as if they had seen angels of mercy—a flickering ember in an endless, consuming darkness.

They were saved.

Though they didn’t receive a royal welcome, the intelligence they provided regarding the insectoid swarm earned them material aid. At the very least, they wouldn’t have to march to Stoneheart City on empty stomachs.

Stoneheart City, the Citadel.

As the lights of the city flickered on against the twilight, the bustle of the capital condensed into waves of paperwork that crashed onto Lilith’s desk. Fortunately, she had acquired two capable assistants; otherwise, the administration might have collapsed under the weight.

"You’re here. Sit."

Lilith looked up as Ava crossed the threshold, offering a polite smile. Since moving into the citadel, Ava—who possessed actual administrative experience from managing Soaring Bird City—had naturally been drafted by Lilith to help. Management talent was a resource the Stoneheart Horde was critically short on.

Usually, if Ava wasn’t occupied, she would come here with Sylvana to assist with official documents. But it was late. Ava knew Lilith wouldn’t have summoned her at this hour without cause.

Ava sat. Just as the tea touched her lips and the cup settled back onto the saucer, Lilith slid a decrypted intelligence report across the desk.

"Patrols in the border region near the Blood Elf territory intercepted a signal. A wandering knight named Aldwyn provided detailed intelligence regarding an insectoid invasion of Soaring Bird City."

Lilith watched Ava’s expression closely. Seeing the flash of surprise and relief, her suspicion was confirmed.

"He claims to be your follower, traveling with his wife and daughter to rejoin you. Please verify the authenticity of this claim and the reliability of the man himself."

Lilith tapped the paper. "Furthermore, the swarm invading Soaring Bird City seems to be treating it as a nesting ground. We need a detailed map of the city and all relevant intelligence."

For the Stoneheart Horde, there were three ways to deal with insectoids: Observation, Extermination, or Cultivation.

Clearly, the swarm at Soaring Bird City was slated for Extermination.

"If his name is Aldwyn, then he is indeed my follower," Ava said after a moment of thought. "Before the evacuation of Soaring Bird City, he went back south to retrieve his family. Based on the timeline, he would have arrived there just days ago."

"Sister," Ava continued, leaning forward slightly, "Aldwyn is a knight. He wields a curved blade nearly as tall as he is. His mount is a beast-blood steed with Earth Dragon lineage, capable of traveling hundreds of miles in a day."

Lilith nodded. The classified version of the report in her mind matched Ava’s description perfectly. The paper in Ava’s hand was merely the sanitized version for public eyes.

"Rest assured, your follower has been aided by the patrol. They will arrive in Stoneheart City soon."

It was good news for Ava. But Lilith wasn’t finished.

"On another note," Lilith said, her tone shifting abruptly. "The insect disasters are becoming more frequent. The construction of Rosethorn needs to accelerate again."

Ava’s heart tightened for no reason she could name.

"That is Kronos’s fiefdom. You must push the people you brought with you," Lilith said, her voice losing its earlier warmth. "Strive to get everyone inside the walls before winter hits. It is the only way to guarantee their safety."

When discussing the insectoids, Lilith had been gentle. Now, speaking of Rosethorn, she was stern, authoritative—a true ruler.

"Rest assured, Sister. I will supervise it personally starting tomorrow," Ava replied quickly.

"Good."

Lilith nodded. That was the reaction she wanted.

Rosethorn was named by Kronos to commemorate the Rose Manor of his childhood—a gesture meant to please and honor his mother, Ava. Initially, construction had moved at a fever pitch. But human nature being what it was, there was always a group looking to slack off.

Recently, the pace at Rosethorn had slowed, dragging down the Stoneheart Horde’s strategic layout for the region surrounding the capital. Hence, Lilith’s need to ’nudge’ Ava.

It wasn’t just a nudge, really. Ava was Kronos’s mother. With Kronos away in the military, she was the only one qualified to oversee his fiefdom in his stead. Furthermore, the humans who were cutting corners and playing tricks at the construction site had entered the Horde under the banner of being Ava’s followers.

They needed Ava to straighten them out. And as a fellow administrator, Ava understood Lilith’s intent perfectly.