Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1510: Bidding on Power

"You are the Horde’s greatest treasure now. You must have protection befitting your station."

As he spoke, a magical cloak materialized in Orion’s hand.

To Lorelia’s astonishment, he draped the Lightning Cloak over her shoulders.

The artifact offered not only formidable physical and magical defense but also contained a bound, forbidden spell of the Thunder element—a devastating attack that required no incantation to cast. It was the perfect fusion of offense and defense.

"Master... Master... Lorelia knew it! Master loves Lorelia the best!"

Overcome with emotion, Lorelia grabbed Orion’s large hand, pressing her cheek against it and nuzzling it affectionately like a devoted pet.

"Go to the castle and keep your Mistress company. With the little ones out proving themselves in the world, she’s grown lonely."

Lorelia has finally grown up.

Orion sighed internally with a mix of relief and nostalgia. His figure dissolved into mist, and he reappeared instantly on the throne within the castle, watching over the Vixen Sylvana, who was still deep in meditation.

South. Stoneheart City.

In one of the castle’s administrative halls, Lilith sat in deep contemplation, holding an intelligence report delivered by the Seekers.

Nearby, Lysinthia and Lycanor were assisting her with the mountain of paperwork.

The other key women of the Horde had been deployed elsewhere. Ava was overseeing the construction of Rosethorn; Ria, obsessed with her botanical projects, had been sent to Caelus’s fief to supervise the landscaping and city planning; and the Butterfly Matriarch, Sophia, had traveled to the ruins of the old Human Imperial Capital to oversee the rise of Sophia City on Kaelen’s behalf.

"Mistress, has something happened?"

among Orion’s women, only Lysinthia could use that title so naturally in a public setting. It was a privilege unique to her.

"Take a look at this."

Lilith never stood on ceremony with Lysinthia. Their bond went deeper than rank; in many ways, she felt closer to Lysinthia than to her own twin sister, Delilah. Together, they had stood by Orion’s side, witnessing the Stoneheart Horde rise from a ragtag band of survivors to a glorious empire. To Lilith, Lysinthia was true family.

"An insectoid egg... capable of birthing a Broodmother?"

Lysinthia was surprised. Since the laws of the world had shifted, the Stoneheart Horde had captured live Broodmothers during their purges of the Insectoid race, but finding a viable egg was unprecedented.

An egg meant they could raise a Broodmother from birth, guaranteeing absolute loyalty to the Horde.

"According to the Seeker’s appraisers, the egg has high vitality. It’s highly probable it will hatch into a Hero-rank Broodmother, with a slim chance of being an Alpha-level," Lilith explained, glancing at Lycanor to include him in the briefing. "The Seekers are asking if we should classify this as contraband and forbid its sale."

"A strategic asset like this... you don’t intend to raise it within the central Horde?" Lycanor asked.

Having worked with her for so long, Lycanor knew Lilith’s temperament. If she was bringing it up for discussion, it usually meant she had already decided the Horde didn’t need it.

And he was right. Lilith had just received news of Lorelia’s ascension to Archlord. A generic egg, likely only Hero-rank, failed to spark her interest. Furthermore, the Horde was already supporting enough Broodmothers. It was better to let the idle resources of the subordinate clans handle the upkeep of a new one.

Whoever won the auction would essentially become the resource bank for that Broodmother.

"It’s just one Broodmother. Release it. Consider it a welfare benefit for our clansmen," Lilith decided decisively. aside from the perpetually hands-off Orion, her word was law in the Stoneheart Horde. "After all, once it matures, it will still fight for the Horde’s banner."

"Send word to the Seekers. Auction the egg. Highest bidder wins."

"Understood," Lysinthia nodded. "I’ll draft the directive."

"Make sure they know: Broodmothers are precious. We will accept Stoneheart Coins, but we also accept Horde Merit Points, rare artifacts, and strategic resources as valid currency."

"Additionally, tell the Seeker leadership that this egg is strictly for internal distribution. Non-kin are barred from entry."

Lilith added the final condition to guard against foreign powers from other worlds—specifically groups like the Order of the Dandelion, led by Grand Magus Rhazuun. Compared to those ancient, behemoth organizations, the individual members of the Stoneheart Horde were practically paupers. She wouldn’t let an outsider buy their strategic assets.

Lysinthia noted the instructions and dispatched the message immediately.

"Speaking of Broodmothers, I have another piece of intelligence. Read this."

Lilith pulled a second report from her personal storage and handed it to Lysinthia. Lycanor watched with envy; a report coming directly from Lilith’s person implied top-secret clearance and high importance. The fact that she handed it to Lysinthia without hesitation spoke volumes about their trust.

"Broodmother?" Lysinthia scanned the document, her eyes widening. "Kaelen... Melissa... A Dragonlouse Broodmother?"

"Kaelen is bringing her back to meet us?"

The intel was explosive. Lysinthia stared at the paper in disbelief before a grin spread across her face.

"He truly is the Master’s son. To think he has the skill to abduct an Insectoid Broodmother."

It was a sentiment born of admiration. Orion had once abducted Soraya and brought her into the fold; now Kaelen was bringing Melissa home. It seemed the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

"Ha!" Lilith laughed, clutching her waist as amusement overtook her. She knew exactly what Lysinthia was implying.

"This has nothing to do with Orion!" she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Kaelen has this charisma because he is the Insect King of the Dark Butterfly Race. He holds a natural deterrence over the Insectoids."

"According to Kaelen’s explanation, Broodmothers instinctively seek stronger Insect Kings for protection and to improve the bloodline of their offspring."

Lilith composed herself. The reason she had been so dismissive of the egg earlier was precisely because the Horde had been flooded with good news regarding Broodmothers lately. First Lorelia’s evolution into an Archlord, and now Kaelen seducing a Legendary-level Broodmother into defecting.

"Mistress," Lysinthia said, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. "I wonder... will she pass Sophia’s test?"

Lysinthia knew the history between Sophia and her son well.

Sophia was a Broodmother herself. She knew better than anyone the difficulties of carrying Orion’s lineage, and she understood exactly what factors would influence the potential of Kaelen’s offspring.

"That is hard to say," Lilith mused. "Don’t let Sophia’s gentle, quiet demeanor fool you. She is a powerful woman who once forced herself upon Orion, after all."

"I suspect this Melissa is in for a rough time. If I were in Sophia’s position, I would scrutinize every inch of her to ensure she is worthy."