Titan King: Ascension of the Giant-Chapter 1475: Spoils of War

Maelric watched the battle unfold in the magic mirror. The enemy was undeniably powerful, but they had only fielded three Archlords. That was a number the Holy Order could crush.

"I propose a unified crusade," Maelric announced, his voice echoing in the chamber. "Stellaris, Twilight Vale, Sena, Silvermoon, Gulaba, and Agaman. All six dioceses must mobilize. We scour the land."

He leaned forward, his eyes cold.

"There are wolves in our pasture. We do not tolerate wolves."

While the war council raged in the Agaman Central Diocese and the battle for Dolame Square burned on, the deep waters of the Westreach Sea Trench had fallen silent.

The slaughter was over.

In the deepest recess of the trench, within a palace carved from naturally forming glacial crystal, Orion, Leonidas, and Kraken sat upon thrones, surrounded by a harem of Siren captives. They drank, they laughed, and they celebrated the spoils of war.

Sometimes, a massacre is the most effective diplomacy.

After the Ocean Hunters and water dragon beasts had turned the water red with blood, the remaining Sirens—terror-stricken and broken—had turned on their own leaders and surrendered.

Orion and his brothers weren’t about to waste such a gift. The Sirens were beautiful, certainly, serving as excellent distractions for base desires. But more importantly, they were a workforce. Repopulating the Westreach Sea Trench with Ocean Hunters and sea-kin was a logistical nightmare. These Sirens would serve as the labor force to breed the next generation of monsters.

"That was the Eight-Point Dismemberment, wasn’t it? Makareth really put on a show," Leonidas drawled.

Orion lay sprawled on a dragon-bone throne, a stunning Siren nestled under each arm. He accepted a peeled grape from one, his fingers lingering on hers, flashing a charming, roguish grin that made the terrified creature blush.

"He took a hit in the first exchange," Kraken rumbled, his mouth occupied with a flagon of wine. "His pride was bruised, so he burned a forbidden scroll just to vent."

Kraken, like Leonidas, had a Siren on each side—one holding the wine, the other a platter of meat. As he spoke, the tentacles on his face writhed, snatching food and drink with a dexterity that made the Sirens flinch.

"Bro," Leonidas said, glancing at the projection floating in the center of the room. "Your subordinate... his aura feels different. He’s shedding the drake physiology."

Orion, also flanked by two Sirens, nodded. The atmosphere in the crystal palace was less like a war room and more like a VIP booth in a seedy, high-end club where three nouveau riche warlords were enjoying the bottle service.

"Sharp eyes, little brother," Orion chuckled. "Since I ascended to Demigod status, my territory has become a true sanctuary. My aura influences my draconic followers. Kaedros is evolving."

It made sense to Leonidas. He could see it now—Kaedros’s dragon form was elongating, his movements becoming more fluid, more mystical.

Despite the revelry, their attention remained fixed on the projection of the Andor Diocese. This was the main theater of war. The three brothers were present in the flesh in the trench, but their spiritual projections were hovering over the battlefield, giving them a front-row seat.

"Isabella has improved," Kraken noted, watching the gold-clad valkyrie stalemate the Templar. "She can barely hold her own against a lower-tier Archlord, but she’s holding."

"She’s not easy," Leonidas said mildly, swirling his wine. "Proud. Quick to take offense. But when it matters, she stands her ground. There’s steel in her."

Leonidas trusted Alexander’s judgment, just as he trusted Arthas. If Alexander had chosen to mentor her, there was gold beneath the dross.

"She’s the type who’d be a nightmare to marry—a total hellcat," Leonidas pontificated, adopting the air of a seasoned love guru. "But she’s also the type who has a sharp tongue and a soft heart. If you need someone to guard your legacy while you’re conquering worlds, she’s the one."

He nudged Orion with his elbow. "Speaking of which, Orion... when are you going to make an honest woman of her?"

Pfft!

Orion sprayed his wine across the table, coughing as he stared at Kraken and Leonidas.

"When did I ever say I was going to marry her?" Orion wiped his mouth. "She’s a domineering queen type. I already have a full house. Our horoscopes don’t match. We’d kill each other."

Kraken just smiled, his tentacles twitching in amusement. He didn’t say a word, but his eyes said, Yeah, right.

Everyone in the Champions Alliance knew there was something there. The tension between Orion and Isabella was thick enough to cut with a knife. That was why Kraken and Makareth loved to poke the bear in public. Isabella always acted disgusted—like she’d rather die than be with the giant—but who knew what she really thought?

And Orion wasn’t blind. He knew Alexander was essentially matchmaking by entrusting Isabella to him.

But Orion played the fool. He had wives. He had responsibilities. Furthermore, both he and Isabella were "Awakened." Like two tigers on the same mountain, they shared a kinship but also a territorial repulsion. They worked best as allies, circling each other at a safe distance.

"Let’s talk business," Orion said, cutting off the romance subplot.

"Six Archlord-level stone golems in one diocese," Orion mused, his expression darkening. "If the other dioceses have similar stockpiles... Bro, Kraken, we are understaffed."

He meant Archlord-level heavy hitters. This wasn’t a video game where the enemies waited in their zones for the players to arrive. The Holy Order wouldn’t sit idle. Once they gauged the coalition’s strength, they would mobilize a massive counter-offensive.

Orion was using the battle at Dolame Square to probe the Holy Order, just as Maelric was using it to probe them. Neither side was stupid.

"Change of plans," Orion decided. "Squiddy, you hold the fort here. Keep building our forces in the trench."

He looked at Leonidas.

"You and I are going to the surface. We need to secure the continent with overwhelming force before we worry about expanding the sea front."

The original plan had been a simultaneous land and sea invasion. But the Holy Order’s depth was greater than anticipated. If they had mass-produced Archlord constructs, they almost certainly had more than one or two Demigods hidden away.

"If the situation deteriorates," Orion added, a ruthless glint in his eyes, "I’ll pull the three Scourge Wardens from the Abyssal World."