Chapter 52: This isn’t a crisis for me

Blackstone Tribe, Inside the Tent.As Orion lifted the tent flap the next morning, a blast of cold air hit him square in the face.

It had snowed.

In just one night, a half-meter thick layer of snow had blanketed the ground.

"Orion, the chieftain wants to see you in her tent!"

Not far away, James, who was clearing snow with a few other giants, called out to Orion as soon as he saw him step outside.

"Got it, James!"

Orion glanced at the snow in front of his tent. With a light stomp of his left foot, a wave of energy rippled out from beneath him, pushing all the snow away from the area.

Moments later, Orion entered his sister Clymene's tent.

"Orion, you're here. Have a seat!"

"Once the other elders arrive, we'll start the council meeting."

Orion walked over to the right side of his sister, picked up a bowl of hot soup from the table, and drank it down. He could tell that everyone present was uneasy, and the source of their anxiety was clear: last night's snow.

The snow had come far too early this year, signaling that this winter would be harsher than any they had faced before.

Before long, Rendall and Thorak entered, their faces equally grim.

"Chieftain, I just did a round of inspections. The valley's fortifications are mostly complete, though there are a few minor areas that need some fine-tuning."

Clymene nodded, gesturing for the two elders to take their seats.

"You've all seen it—it's snowing."

"Winter is upon us. Prepare yourselves."

"Though the polar night is still some time away, it's not far off."

"And when the polar night arrives, so will the dark beast tides."

"This time, I want our Blackstone Tribe to survive the dark beast tides intact."

"…"

Clymene spoke at length, and Orion quietly absorbed much of the information—things he hadn't known before.

Your journey continues at M V L

In previous winters, all the young giants were free to move about the tribe. But this year, only the bloodline warriors would be allowed to leave their tents.

The reason was simple: this winter was different.

"Chieftain, with the first snow already here, most of the beasts in the Black Forest will likely migrate south."

"In the coming days, there will be a migration beast tide. Should we take the opportunity to hunt?"

Clymene thought for a moment before rejecting the elder's suggestion.

"We have enough food stored. Hunting the beast tide would be too risky, and we might not come back unscathed."

"So, rest up."

"Save your strength. The real test will come when the dark beast tides arrive, and we must defend the tribe with everything we have."

"…"

The council meeting dragged on until the afternoon.

As the elders began to leave, Clymene and Rendall noticed that Orion hadn't moved. They exchanged curious glances.

Orion gestured toward the still-open tent flap, and with a wave of her hand, Clymene closed it.

"Last night, I learned something from Lysinthia. She told me that killing the dark creatures during the dark beast tides and extracting their dark source crystals can enhance our strength."

Orion didn't hold anything back, sharing everything he had learned.

"Is that true?"

Orion nodded, waiting for Clymene and the other elders to react.

To his surprise, Clymene pulled out a small, grape-sized black orb.

"Orion, is this what you're talking about?"

Orion shook his head. He had never seen a dark source crystal before, so he couldn't be sure if what Clymene held was the same thing Lysinthia had mentioned.

Suddenly, Kolgor, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

"Chieftain, let me try it."

"I'm old, and I have many hidden ailments."

"Let me be the one to test it for everyone."

Orion remained silent. In moments like this, silence was the best course of action.

Clymene hesitated. Kolgor was old, but he had contributed greatly to the tribe in his younger years.

As Clymene deliberated, a cloud of blood mist appeared in Kolgor's hand, and he snatched the dark source crystal from her.

Gulp!

Without much hesitation, Kolgor swallowed the dark source crystal, washing it down with a gulp of saliva.

"Nothing's happening."

But just as Kolgor finished speaking, a surge of immense life energy erupted from his body, powerful and overwhelming.

The energy not only rapidly increased Kolgor's strength but also began healing the hidden injuries and ailments in his body.

However, the effect lasted less than three minutes.

After a long pause, Kolgor opened his eyes, a mix of excitement and regret on his face.

"Orion was right. The dark source crystal has no negative side effects for us and can even enhance our strength."

"Not only that, but it can also heal hidden injuries and ailments."

"The only downside is that the effect doesn't last long. We'll need a large number of dark source crystals."

After hearing Kolgor's words, Clymene fell into deep thought.

Orion, too, narrowed his eyes, lost in his own thoughts.

Finally, Clymene sighed.

"Even though my brother brought us three precious Bloodline Evolution Stones, our current strength isn't enough to hunt dark creatures on a large scale."

The other elders, hearing this, looked disappointed as they left the chieftain's tent, lamenting the absence of Hyperion and Phoebe. It had been a year since they disappeared without a trace.

Orion said nothing as he stood to leave.

"Brother, take this."

Orion turned to see Clymene holding another dark source crystal.

"This is the last one our father left behind. I hope it helps you."

Orion stared at his sister, unsure of what to say.

"Take it. You can either consume it yourself or feed it to your Abyssal Dragon."

Clymene handed the dark source crystal to Orion, her expression serious.

"Orion, remember, the stronger you become, the more you can help me, and the more the tribe will rely on you."

"Don't feel any burden. Go."

Orion nodded and left the chieftain's tent.

Not long after, Rendall and Kolgor returned.

"Did you give it to Orion?"

"I did."

Rendall nodded. They had left earlier to give Clymene the chance to hand over the last dark source crystal to Orion.

Both Rendall and Kolgor knew that if Orion had known it was the tribe's last crystal, he wouldn't have accepted it.

"Chieftain, we need to change our strategy for this dark beast tide."

"What do you mean?"

"I've decided that instead of focusing solely on defense, we should go all out to kill the dark creatures and push one of us—whether it's you, me, Orion, or the Abyssal Dragon—to a higher level of power."

Rendall stared intently at Clymene.

Clymene wasn't finished. She locked eyes with Rendall and Kolgor and continued.

"The most likely candidate for a breakthrough is the Abyssal Dragon. It was born with hero-level strength. If we help it, maybe…"

"Chieftain, we'll follow your lead. Do as you see fit."

---

Meanwhile, Orion returned to his tent, feeling both excited and burdened.

Lilith and Lysinthia were busy preparing food for the three of them.

Orion didn't pay much attention to the two women. As soon as he entered the tent, he immediately consumed the dark source crystal.

He had thought long and hard about it and had hesitated for a while.

In the end, Orion chose to consume the crystal himself rather than give it to the Abyssal Dragon.

The reason was simple: facing the unknown threat of the dark beast tides, Orion had no experience or certainty. In such a situation, increasing his own strength was the only way to feel more secure.

After swallowing the dark source crystal, Orion soon felt a surge of life energy coursing through his body.

The sensation was so pleasurable, it was almost like a sexual climax, and Orion nearly moaned out loud.

But just as quickly as it came, the feeling faded after about three minutes.

Instead of immediately checking his physical condition, Orion focused on his status panel.

---

Name: Orion Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Race: Giant

Level: Hero

Height: 8.5 feet

Weight: 770 pounds

Strength: 345/500 (+710)

Agility: 330/500 (+25)

Intelligence: 340/500 (+20)

Constitution: 330/500 (+20)

Resistance: 10% (against all negative states)

---

Skills:

1. Advanced Trident Mastery: Base attack damage +40%, weak point hit damage +100%, chance to inflict bleeding and healing prohibition on hit, low chance to instantly kill bleeding enemies.

2. Titan's Rage (Bloodline Skill): A transformation skill mastered only by top giants, doubling size and all attributes when transformed into an Ancient Titan. The effect lasts until stamina is exhausted. This skill can grow, current effect is 2x.

3. Shadowstep: Increases agility by 50%, attack speed by 20% upon use, each use has a chance to permanently increase agility by 1 point.

4. Berserk Aura: Activating the Berserk Aura sends you and nearby allies into a frenzy, increasing health, reducing pain, and negating curse effects.

5. Titan's Heart: Giants with the Titan's Heart gain an additional 2x strength.

---

Looking at the numbers on his status panel, Orion now had a clear understanding of the dark source crystal's effects.

All of his attributes had increased, except for his resistance.

To max out all his stats to 500, Orion estimated he would need at least 10 more dark source crystals of the same size as the one he had just consumed.

And if he wanted to include the Abyssal Dragon in that calculation, the number of crystals required would be unimaginable.

Orion opened his eyes, a glint of determination and bloodlust flashing within them.

It seemed that the dark beast tides weren't as simple as he had initially thought.

Perhaps the dark beast tides weren't just about fear and slaughter—they were about mutual hunting.

"This isn't a crisis for me; it's an opportunity. I can't let it slip by!"

Orion thought to himself, already planning how to kill as many dark creatures as possible when winter fully arrived.