Titan King: Ascension of the Giant - Chapter 466

Chapter 466: More cautious
Inside the palace, apart from Orion’s slightly somber voice, there was no other sound to be heard.

“Prophet, give me a report on the Horde’s losses at the frontline this time.”

Onyx stepped forward, his voice carrying a hint of gravity.

“Lord, in this battle, our Stoneheart Horde lost two Wardens—Marnok and Veldrok, both elders.”

“The two main cannon fodder troops suffered nearly 30% casualties, while the bloodline warriors from the other three armies lost about 10% of their numbers.”

“In total, we lost 24,000 bloodline warriors.”

“Of the 100,000 sand scorpions, more than 40,000 were killed, leaving fewer than 60,000.”

To suffer such heavy losses after just three days of defense was something no one present had anticipated—except, of course, Vexis.

It was only after Onyx finished reporting the casualties that the Lich Vexis spoke up.

“Lord Orion, we need to adjust our approach to combat.”

This was, in fact, Vexis’s first time commanding the Stoneheart Horde’s bloodline warriors in battle. The small scorpions were manageable—once given orders, they would charge forward fearlessly. But commanding living beings was another matter. While Vexis wasn’t inexperienced, she had yet to build a rapport with the Stoneheart Horde’s armies.

“Ms Vexis, please speak plainly.”

Orion’s tone was calm, carrying a subtle hint of seeking advice.

He knew full well that, as the supreme commander of this group, he couldn’t lead from the front lines. His role required him to intervene at any moment to hold back the strongest fungal creatures. As a result, he often couldn’t personally direct the battles, leaving the responsibility to Vexis, a fellow Legendary-level powerhouse.

“Stoneheart Horde has five armies, all composed of intelligent beings from different races, each one a bloodline warrior,” Vexis began. “For warfare, they offer greater flexibility in deployment, a better grasp of our tactical plans, and more autonomy. Moreover, their development cycle is longer, so putting them on the frontline is unwise.”

Her voice was steady and composed, offering Orion rational counsel from a place of calm objectivity.

“Lord Orion, we need cannon fodder—units without fear, who will charge into battle the moment they’re given an order, like our skeleton warriors. They may be weak, but their numbers are vast, enough to blanket the battlefield. And when they fall, I can raise them as undead to keep fighting for us.”

Everything Vexis said pointed toward Soraya, the broodmother of the scorpion tribe.

“For the battles ahead, I suggest breaking up the five armies and turning them all into commanders. Let them lead the scorpion cannon fodder and skeletons into combat. This way, we can minimize unnecessary losses. Lord Orion, if your subordinates keep fighting on the frontline, it’s a tremendous waste. A few more battles like this, and they’ll all die, only to be turned into my undead.”

Her words were heartfelt, a valuable suggestion made for the greater good.

Orion scanned the elders standing in the palace, many of whom he had personally trained. Raising an Alpha-level warrior for the Horde was no easy feat.

“Ms. Vexis, what we lack right now is time!”

Indeed, Orion was only now realizing how desperately short of time they were. Soraya’s advancement to Legendary level required time. Hatching a large batch of small scorpions required time. Strengthening the Horde’s bloodline warriors required time. Even establishing territory and building cities required time.

Still, in response to Vexis’s proposal, Orion made his decision.

“From now on, the five armies will rotate to the frontline. The next to go will be the cannon fodder troops led by Onyx.”

Onyx stood and replied, “As you command.”

“Prophet, split the cannon fodder troops into smaller units and assign them to follow Vexis’s orders. The other armies will follow this plan as well, rotating to the frontline in turn.”

This approach aimed to reduce losses across the armies and ease the pressure on the bloodline warriors, giving them time to grow stronger. However, the cost would fall heavily on Soraya’s scorpion tribe. She had brought 150,000 small scorpions, of which 40,000 were lost in the last battle, leaving around 110,000. With the new batch she’d begun hatching since arriving, the total came to roughly 120,000.

A cannon fodder troop, 120,000 small scorpions, undead armies, and skeleton warriors—combined, they could still hold the line.

After making these arrangements, Orion glanced at Vexis. She nodded silently, saying nothing more.

Next, Orion discussed some detailed logistics with the group before moving on to the distribution of spoils. As per custom, he kept 40% of the life essence for himself and distributed the rest.

“Go now. Take your rewards and urge your tribes to train hard. We’re racing against time—every bit of strength you gain increases your chances of surviving on the battlefield.”

Gustalon, Onyx, and the others responded to Orion with affirmations of obedience before filing out. The defensive battle had yielded significant gains, and they needed to cultivate and consolidate their strength immediately.

“Lord Orion, I’ll return to the undead tower to absorb the power of death,” Vexis said. “Call for me when it’s time for the next frontline deployment.”

Orion nodded, watching her depart.

Once everyone had left, Orion leaned back on his throne and let out a long breath. This had been his first battle since reaching the peak of Legendary level. Though he’d gained two Legendary-level life essences, the fight had been perilously close.

“This time, the enemy sent three Legendary-level powerhouses right off the bat. Do they have more of them than we do? Not only are their numbers greater, but their variety is staggering. We’ll need to be more cautious next time.”

Having reached the peak of Legendary level, Orion’s confidence had soared—until this battle tempered it, bringing him back to a state of calm and composure.

After reflecting on his own strength and combat experience, he immersed his mind in the Survivor’s Platform and accessed the public channel of the Champions Alliance.

Earlier, during a conversation with the group, Arthas had reminded him to keep an eye on the team’s public channel, where much of their communication took place. Orion had already planned to check it regularly anyway.

Now, with the battle over, he was curious to see how the others were faring in their regions.