Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1367 The Gambler’s Bet and the Raptor’s Roar

Positioned away from the plaza's congested center, the Blood and Fire Mercenary Corps occupied the upper loft of a tavern. From their vantage point overlooking the square, they crowded the windowsills, leaning out to catch every syllable of Ava’s speech as it rose from below.

Only when the Q&A session concluded did the mercenaries finally pull back inside. The silence broke instantly, replaced by a rowdy atmosphere of shouting voices and the rhythmic clinking of ale tankards.

"Hah! The Commander predicted it exactly!"

"Come on, boys, pay up! I'm the winner. That’s twenty Blackstone coins for me."

The dwarf demanding his winnings was known as Stoutgut. Although he smelled strongly of ale, his gaze remained sharp, and his long beard was neatly tied into functional braids—a clear indicator that he remained focused on business despite the drinking.

"Unbelievable luck," muttered the bookie, a gnoll called Bloodear. "Not a single twist or bit of drama? Does no one have any confidence in the Human Kingdom anymore?"

Sighing heavily, Bloodear pulled a weighted pouch from his belt and reluctantly began counting out coins for those who had won the bet.

"Only a fool would place a bet on the Human Kingdom these days," Stoutgut remarked dismissively as he grabbed his coins. "We have the Giant King, a true Demigod at the peak of his power, offering us his protection. You’d have to be completely brain-dead to pass up a chance like that."

Stoutgut leaped onto a round table, shoving several empty mugs out of his way. "Do you see that down there? Prince Kronos is standing right in the center of the square. Our Prince. He is the future of the Stoneheart Horde."

He hoisted his tankard high, causing ale to spill over the sides. "If we tie our fortunes to the Prince, we are set for life. Is there anyone here who doubts the golden future waiting for us?"

The dwarf’s eyes shone with a fanatical loyalty whenever he spoke of the royal giants.

"The Commander was brilliant to establish our HQ in Stoneheart City before the massive rush began," another mercenary yelled out.

"You're damn right!" Stoutgut roared. "Every arrogant noble on this continent is currently fighting for a way into Stoneheart. We already possess what they are begging for. To the Commander!"

"To the Commander!" the entire room shouted in unison, their cheers rattling the dust from the ceiling beams.

The man they were honoring, the knight Godfrey, sat quietly in a corner booth while sipping his drink. As the founder of Blood and Fire, he remained focused on his calculations while his men celebrated.

Now that Kronos was returning to Soaring Bird City, Godfrey’s secret protection assignment was no longer necessary. He had already signaled his brothers to stand down from their mission.

"You really shouldn't give a damn about the Human Kingdom’s problems anymore," a deep, resonant voice rumbled from across the table.

It was Brundar, Godfrey’s giant friend and the Deputy Commander of the corps, clinking his glass against Godfrey's.

"The Horde has already issued the extermination bounties," Brundar added. "The real money is in hunting those filthy Insectoids and incinerating their hives. That is where our focus should be. Opportunities to trade points within the Horde Treasury don't happen every day."

Godfrey smiled as he looked at the giant. Having fought side-by-side on the walls of Stoneheart City, they were brothers bound by blood, not just by title.

"My friend, this is our final run," Godfrey said with a shake of his head. "After this journey, it’s unlikely we will travel this particular road for a very long time."

He felt no regret regarding these final contracts within the Human Kingdom. However, as Soaring Bird City prepared for its mass migration to the Stoneheart Horde, the few ties Godfrey still had to this region were being cut. The other knights were also departing.

"Heh, who knows?" Brundar took a massive gulp of ale. "The future is just a roll of the dice. Who can actually claim to be a prophet?"

Godfrey raised an eyebrow, surprised by the profound nature of Brundar's words. Then he remembered the giant's frequent visits to the Silent Goblet in Stoneheart. That tavern was a hub for political rumors and wild speculation; Brundar must have absorbed some philosophy between his tavern brawls.

"The future is ours," Brundar said with a grin. "A Mercenaries' Guild that spans the world. That is the final goal for groups like ours."

Godfrey let out a short laugh. "I hope your vision is correct."

He chose not to argue, even though he felt such a reality was still far away. The continent was balanced on a knife's edge. Without a legendary, singular figure to unite the independent sellswords, a legitimate Guild was nothing more than a fantasy.

Furthermore, since the Giant King’s Cultivation reached the rank of Demigod, the political climate had shifted. Within the Stoneheart Horde, the voices calling for the unification of the entire continent under a single banner were growing louder, like a flood about to break through a dam.

The Giant King had not yet made an official statement, but Godfrey viewed it as inevitable. Unifying the continent would be the ultimate tribute to a Demigod—the world's final act of submission. Godfrey feared the day the Horde would march against the Human Kingdom, but recent disasters—the shifts in the heavens and the earth—had temporarily halted the drums of war.

The need for survival had forced the four great factions into an uneasy cooperation.

"Get some rest," Godfrey said, finishing his drink. "We depart at daybreak. We’ll be following Prince Kronos’s column on the way back to Stoneheart."

"Understood, Commander."

That night, the Blood and Fire Mercenary Corps drank every drop in the tavern, marking their final hours in Soaring Bird City.

By the next morning, the fields outside Soaring Bird City had become a vast sea of people.

As the morning sun rose over the horizon and stained the sky with pale gold, the city itself seemed hollow. The usual energy had drained from the streets and gathered outside the gates, creating a chaotic, dusty scene.

It appeared that half the population was prepared to follow Kronos.

Wealthy nobles and merchants had packed their heavy carriages to the limit, their axles creaking under the weight of their belongings. Those with no such wealth stood in stoic, quiet groups with heavy packs strapped to their backs.

Combined with the disciplined lines of the army, the crowd formed a winding river of humanity that stretched for miles toward the horizon.

"Well, it seems Soaring Bird has plenty of intelligent people," Brundar grunted.

He and Godfrey stood on top of the now-empty city wall, watching the massive migration below. Because the city guard had already moved out, the walls provided the perfect viewpoint for the mercenaries before they joined the rear of the column.

"It isn't just about intelligence," Godfrey noted, adjusting his gauntlets. "It’s the promise made by the City Lord. And the lack of a better alternative."

"True. Not every location has a Demigod as a guardian," Brundar laughed.

The day before, Ava had pledged to safeguard the lives and assets of everyone who joined them. That promise won over the commoners. For the nobility, it was a matter of practical logic: the Stoneheart Horde and the Giant King offered the only real safety in a crumbling world.

"I know you're just being practical, Godfrey," Brundar said with a wide grin, his chest swelling with pride. "But it still makes me damn happy to hear you say it."

He felt a deep pride in being a giant. He was proud to belong to Stoneheart.

THRUM... THRUM... THRUM...

Suddenly, a rhythmic pounding vibrated through the stone under their feet. A low, thunderous roar began to echo from the far horizon.

Godfrey’s hand moved instinctively to the hilt of his sword as his body tensed. "Is that... a beast tide?"

"No," Brundar replied, his grin turning into a predatory smile as he stared toward the source of the noise.

"That isn't a beast tide. That sound... that is our Raptor Cavalry Regiment."