Titan King: Ascension of the Giant-Chapter 251 Centaur khan

Crossing towering mountains and swirling clouds, then wading through swamps and plains, Orion kept sensing that formidable presence and continued traveling east.

Gazing down over the Desolate Plains, he saw endless stretches of tall, swaying grass.

The centaurs who lived there had some odd habits, at least in Orion's eyes. From what he could tell, these centaurs survived by hunting. They favored large prey—giant bears and tusked boars were particular favorites.

In one respect, they were much like giants: they too enjoyed roasted meat but weren't opposed to eating it raw either. It was a rough, almost savage way of life.

Even odder, male centaurs didn't have fixed abodes; they wandered from place to place. By contrast, female centaurs lived in tents. If a female centaur found a male she liked, she'd let him stay in her tent overnight and mate with him. Once that was done, though, almost every male ended up kicked right back out.

As Orion traveled east and witnessed their lifestyle, he found his horizons broadened.

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"Get out!"

Seven days later, a furious shout echoed from below—a low, booming voice charged with intimidation. It was clear the speaker was absolutely enraged.

"Rayden, pay attention—climb a little higher."

Orion looked down at the centaur khan who had spoken, noticed the strange, massive bow in his hands, and thoughtfully warned Thunderhawk Rayden.

Once Orion had spoken these words, he pulled out his trident, the Flame of Will, and summoned a set of ice armor. In a flash, Orion transformed into a bolt of lightning and hurtled down at the centaur khan.

Crack!

Whiz!

An arrow streaking upward, wreathed in flame, came straight at him. Orion's reflexes were superb—he flung a lightning-charged trident in return.

Boom!

Trident and arrow collided, exploding in a brilliant blast that obliterated both.

Crack!

Whiz!

Almost at the same moment, Orion and the centaur khan attacked again. High in the air, another lightning-wrapped trident slammed into another fire arrow.

Boom!

It still wasn't over. In the chaotic seconds that followed, two more rounds of fiery arrows clashed against Orion's tridents. At last, after the fourth collision, Orion touched down, advancing on the centaur khan.

Zzzz!

Orion was suddenly knocked backward, managing to remain on his feet only after skidding a few paces. Meanwhile, the khan had taken such a powerful blow from Orion that the lower half of his body was driven deep into the ground.

Orion hefted his trident, regarding the centaur khan with stern caution. The man's transcendent power was fire-based, but just now he'd driven Orion back purely through brute force. The strength radiating off this centaur blew away anything Orion had encountered before—even the Glacial Dragon's physical might fell short.

"Mmmm-hhhrrnn!"

From where he was stuck in the earth, the centaur khan let out a whinnying sort of neigh.

Rumble!

A second later, instead of pulling himself out of the ground, he charged forward like a plow through soil, barreling toward Orion at impressive speed. Stay tuned for updates on novelbuddy.com

"Go to hell!"

Raising his trident, Orion instantly unleashed the skill "Titan Form." His bloodline surged, and he took on the shape of an ancient titan, his frame growing rapidly. Lightning danced in his crimson eyes as he rallied for a countercharge.

Thud!

This was a raw collision of force against force. Empowered by his amplified attributes, Orion had become like a primeval behemoth, sending the centaur khan hurtling a hundred yards away. In a test of sheer strength, the transformed Orion had the upper hand.

"Who are you? Why trespass on my territory?"

Such was reality: once you realized you were outmatched, you usually tried talking. Realizing his power and transcendent force fell short, the centaur khan finally spoke.

Seeing that the khan was willing to communicate, Orion lowered his trident to show he meant no harm.

"I am Orion Stoneheart, the Giant King from the Black Forest. The Black Forest, Poison Dragon Swamp, and Half-Moon Lake are all my territory!"

Hearing this, the centaur khan frowned, beginning to guess at Orion's intentions.

"Khan of the centaurs," Orion went on, "your people have been crossing the boundary."

Silence.

The khan fell mute, all the while sizing Orion up. He was dealing with a giant lord he'd never heard of before.

"Did you kill Gareth?"

That was the question nagging at the centaur khan's mind foremost, because he knew well that the Black Forest and Poison Dragon Swamp belonged to Gareth.

"Gareth is perfectly fine. The one I killed was Lord Ariel of Thunderwood Forest."

Orion's voice was deep, proud, and confident.

"What? That's impossible!"

The khan's first reaction was outright denial. Lords farther south were typically stronger than those in the north. The idea that Orion—or Gareth—could have killed Ariel sounded ridiculous.

But there the giant lord stood, face-to-face with him, and as a fellow lord, the khan understood a few truths: nobody reached Legendary rank or claimed the title of lord without a Lord's Stone.

And obtaining a Lord's Stone meant killing another lord or somehow forging one yourself. Considering how difficult the latter was, it seemed perfectly real that Ariel might have been slain.

"So, Lord Orion, why have you come into my territory?"

The centaur khan wasn't naive enough to think Orion was just here to complain. After all, as a lord, if foreigners invaded his domain, Orion could simply wipe them out, no questions asked.

Locking eyes with the centaur khan, Orion spoke in a faintly teasing tone.

"Honorable centaur khan, don't you want to introduce yourself? I still don't know your name."

For a moment, the centaur khan looked taken aback. Then, in a resonant baritone, he introduced himself.

"I am Ironhoof, centaur khan and lord of the Desolate Plains."

"Lord Ironhoof, as neighbors, I think we can get along."

Orion lifted his trident a little. His tone sounded polite enough, but the motion was clearly meant as a veiled threat.

Ironhoof had already hauled himself out of the ground. His four hooves stomped the earth as he gripped that strange double-string bow. Studying Orion and the trident in his hands, Ironhoof stayed silent for a few seconds before slowly declaring, "We can live in peace."

That was good—clearly, this fellow knew when to concede.

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Orion put his weapon away and, smiling but saying nothing more, vanished in a flash of lightning from where he stood. Having reached an understanding with Ironhoof, the Centaur Khan, Orion quit while he was ahead. He didn't push for any concessions nor voice any explicit threats; leaving was also a way to avoid another fight.

After all, Orion hadn't come to the Desolate Plains simply looking for a brawl. His real goal was to show off his power, intimidate Ironhoof into standing down, and propose a peaceful arrangement.

Now that he'd accomplished that, why stay and risk being surrounded?

A thunderous boom tore the air as Orion soared skyward, landing back on Thunderhawk Rayden's back.

"Rayden, we're heading home. Let's go back to Blackstone City."

At Orion's instruction, Thunderhawk Rayden let out a piercing cry and wheeled around, leaving the Desolate Plains behind.

Truth be told, the thunderhawk was both excited and uneasy about ferrying Orion across other lords' territories. It was thrilled because its master was a Legendary-level giant, yet anxious because being left on its own—even temporarily—felt supremely unsafe.

That pretty much summed up how it felt when Orion had left it waiting on those icy heights, and especially when the Glacial Dragon's roar slammed into them earlier.

Down on the ground, Ironhoof the Centaur Khan glared at the thunderhawk sailing west. His features—part human, part equine—were dark with resentment.

"Respected Khan, shall we pursue?"

A few of Ironhoof's Alpha-level centaurs came trotting over, scrutinizing their khan's face as they edged the question in a tentative way.

"Chase them?

"And just how do you propose we do that?

"Even my blazing arrows couldn't take down that thunderhawk. You think you can?

"Or were you planning to pick a fight with a lord who's stronger than me?"

Ironhoof's voice carried icy mockery. Even Orion himself, a Legendary-level giant, had actually spoken respectfully just now. Meanwhile, these cocky Alpha-level centaurs were talking about going after a Legendary-level foe who was downright scarier than Ironhoof.

"Gallopridge, your clan roams that western patch near Poison Dragon Swamp, right?" Ironhoof fixed his gaze on one of the Alphas who'd just approached. "Tell them to watch where they set hoof. If they trespass on another lord's territory, the consequences are on them."

Half the reason Orion had ventured into the Desolate Plains was probably because Gallopridge's centaur band had crossed into another lord's domain—a downright provocative move.

"Yes, Khan. I'll make sure my people behave," Gallopridge muttered, not daring to defend himself under Ironhoof's searing glare.

"Khan, is that giant lord someone new who just rose to power?"

"Mhm."

At mention of Orion, Ironhoof's big eyes narrowed in thought. He could imagine that Orion had fought tooth and nail for a long time to ascend to lord status.

Slaying Lord Ariel must have come at a steep price—killing any Legendary-level being was tough. Even two Legendary-level opponents would have a hard time finishing each other off, since one side could always flee.

"That giant lord is more heavy-handed than that bitch Gareth ever was," Ironhoof huffed to himself before turning and galloping into the depths of the Desolate Plains. Countless tents awaited him there, full of female centaurs who'd let him do whatever he wanted with them.

…

A few days later, Thunderhawk Rayden winged happily across the skies above Poison Dragon Swamp.

"Master, there are a bunch of our people hunting down there. Should we go say hi?"

Rayden had sensed Rendall's energy; as another Alpha-level warrior, Rendall was likely leading a hunting party, so the thunderhawk wondered if Orion might drop in to see the Horde's leadership.

From above, Orion looked down across Poison Dragon Swamp. Of course he sensed Rendall, too. As the hunting commander, Rendall regularly traveled the Horde's territories, both to keep order and to intercept any threats.

"No, head straight home."

Orion wasn't planning on touching down. He'd been away from the Horde for quite a while now and was eager to check on Blackstone City's remodeling.

Screee!

Thunderhawk Rayden let out a long, echoing shriek over Poison Dragon Swamp, as though Orion were sending Rendall a quick greeting. Deep in the swamp, many of the bloodline warriors looked up to watch Rayden vanish toward the Black Forest.

"Arch Elder, Lord Orion's back from scouting the territory!"

Vespera, the succubus elder, lowered her gaze once the thunderhawk shrank to a distant speck in the sky.

"Indeed—that was definitely him, letting us know he's home," Rendall replied solemnly. He knew Orion's habits well.

"Arch Elder, there are loads of beasts in Poison Dragon Swamp, but they're tough to hunt! The moment we slip up, they dive into the marsh, and trying to haul them out is next to impossible."

That came from Hammerhoof, another member of the Horde council who'd joined Vespera to follow Rendall on this patrol. Though mainly meant as security, they still hoped to snag a decent catch of their own.

"You should let the lizardmen handle marshland hunts; they're the top predators down here," Rendall said. "Now, pack up—we're continuing east to see if any centaurs wandered into our territory."

Rendall's half-closed eyes snapped wide open, a glint of killing intent in them. Though Orion hadn't descended, he'd used his transcendent power to send Rendall a message telling him to sweep Poison Dragon Swamp's eastern reaches. Any centaur found trespassing was to be wiped out, no survivors.

Both Vespera and Hammerhoof were startled, then thrilled. The Horde's expansion made it rare to run into actual enemies these days.

Where there were enemies, there was glory in battle. Simple as that.

"All right, everybody up! Let's get going!

"Sharpen those weapons, cinch those leather armors. We've got ourselves a fight coming soon!"

Hammerhoof personally relayed the message, galloping from the front of the group to the rear. On hearing they might be in for a scrap, the warriors sparked with excitement.

Rendall scanned their faces with satisfaction. After so many fights, Stoneheart Horde's people no longer feared warfare.

Or, to be more precise, anyone too timid to fight had long since died. The ones left were hardened elites, fearless and eager for battle.