Titan King: Ascension of the Giant
Chapter 796 - 796: The Scent of Opportunity

Compared to the shock and astonishment rippling through the other great factions, the mood within the Stoneheart Horde was one of pure elation.

From the northern wastes to the southern territories, the many vassal races, upon receiving the confirmed news of Orion's ascension, began preparing gifts and planning their celebratory pilgrimages to Stoneheart City. A wave of ecstatic relief washed over every clan, large and small. From this day forward, they were members of a true power, a faction that need not bow its head or fear the bullying of its neighbors.

Stoneheart Horde, Stoneheart City.

In the southern sky, clouds drifted lazily in the sunlight, and great sun-hawks wheeled between them. But compared to the easy pace of the heavens, the city below was a whirlwind of activity.

The streets and alleys teemed with a diverse throng of peoples and exotic beasts, the avenues lined with bustling new shops. The storefronts of human, dwarven, and blood elf merchants displayed exquisite works of art and finely crafted weapons. Treasures from across the continent and the deep seas could all be found here. The city, already prosperous, now shone with a new, brighter luster.

With the news of the Giant King's ascension spreading like wildfire, a new flood of transients had poured into the city. Mercenary companies and enterprising merchants, like wolves scenting blood on the wind, had all converged on this new center of power.

And a new institution, the Assassin's League, officially sanctioned by the Horde, had sent shockwaves through the worlds of rangers and sellswords. Lone wolves who had long wandered the wilds now had a place to call home. Combined with the Horde's liberal policies toward other races, Stoneheart City had become a paradise for many.

And in this paradise, the most popular establishment in the outer city was not the grand market nor the lavish inns, but the mysterious tavern run by Delilah. Each of its floors was open only to patrons of a certain level of power, a rule that catered to the tastes of many.

On the tavern's central stage, succubi and beastmaid performed dances of captivating skill and fire. Clad in vibrant, exotic silks, they moved with a primal, hypnotic rhythm that stirred the blood. They were a vision of fierce, untamed passion, and for a steep price in Blackstone coins, they offered companionship.

"My friend! It has been too long!" the giant warrior Brundar roared, raising his goblet to clash with that of his human companion, Godfrey. They were old friends, their bond forged in the crucible of battle.

"Your strength has grown," Godfrey noted, looking his friend up and down.

"Heh, you can tell!" Brundar grinned. "Fought the Sea Race in the south, earned my share of glory building that grand canal. The Tribe paid me well in cultivation resources. Even if I had to eat them all, I was determined to reach the peak of the Hero-tier."

The peak of the Hero-tier, but not yet an Alpha. It was a familiar story, a wall where countless bloodline warriors of the Horde found their ambitions checked.

The old record held by Dirtclaw—failing to ascend to Alpha eight times—had long since been broken by others. Now, those who had once mocked him spoke his name only with reverence. It was this wall that kept Brundar and Godfrey on the tavern's ground floor.

"Keep at it," Godfrey encouraged. "There are more opportunities for advancement in the Stoneheart Horde than anywhere else in the world."

Brundar's chest swelled with pride. "It's been a while since I was last here. The place is much busier. I don't recognize a soul." He gestured with his chin at the surrounding crowd of unfamiliar faces.

"Stoneheart City grows and changes every day," Godfrey said, taking a sip of his ale. "The price of a shop in the outer city has tripled in the last two years. The scent of opportunity is thick in the air, so the merchants and mercenaries flock here. We're even seeing more Alpha-level warriors these days."

He nodded toward the second-floor balcony. In the past, they would have known everyone up there by sight. Now, it was filled with strangers.

"It seems my advice to you, to settle down and buy a storefront here, was a wise one after all," Brundar said with a hearty laugh.

Godfrey smiled. In truth, he hadn't stayed put. With the establishment of the Assassin's League and the new auction house, he had formed his own mercenary company and spent much of his time leading expeditions into the wild territories, fulfilling contracts.

"Come, drink!" Brundar bellowed, clearly enjoying the tavern's wild, intoxicating atmosphere. And, of course, the succubi.

"The tavern gets busier, and the dancers get more beautiful. Has anyone managed to win one of their hearts in the last two years?"

To take a succubus as a wife was a great honor among the giants, a trend started by their own lord, Orion.

"One, last year," Godfrey replied, a wistful look in his own eyes. "A powerful giant warrior. She left with him, of her own free will."

Though Godfrey was a knight, he was no monk, and he held a deep yearning for a pure and passionate love.

The nature of the succubi was famous across the continent. Once their fierce loyalty was earned, it was absolute. Any man who looked upon them believed himself worthy of that devotion.

"When I ascend to the Alpha-rank, I'll try my luck here as well," Brundar declared. It was another of his dreams. He was a fervent admirer of Orion, and by extension, of the succubi.

"And what about you?" Brundar asked, leaning in with a sly, conspiratorial grin. "With all these beauties around, has not one of them caught your eye?"

Godfrey shook his head. "My company is newly formed. I spend most of my time on the road. I cannot offer a partner a stable life. The time is not right."

Brundar did not agree with such thinking. To a giant, a wife was a partner in all things. Whatever he ate, she would eat. Wherever he went, she would go. If he lived in a tent, she would share it. In the giant's mind, there was no such thing as being a burden to the one you chose.

"Come," Brundar said, changing the subject and draining his goblet. "Enough of this. Let's go to the Colosseum. I hear they've brought in some new races. I need to sharpen my eye."

If the tavern was a place to indulge the passions of the flesh, the Colosseum was where one went to unleash the passions of blood and battle. It was a game of life and death, where the crowd gambled its fortune and its fury.