Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1377 Do we want to go big?

Previously on Titan King: Ascension of the Giant...

Orion awakened from slumber, absorbing the full context of Kaelen's vendetta against Arch Lord Emeric through his bloodline resonance, approving the necessity of such a reckoning and likening it to his own past losses. He resolved to welcome Kaelen and his mother home upon Emeric's defeat, affirming Kaelen's worth as a survivor forged in adversity, before drifting back into divine rest. In the Silverwood Realm's Current's Bend, tension gripped Atlantis as the Cult of Four's armada, backed by Pontiff Valerius's colossal Sacred Beast, converged on the city. Inside the deep palace, Grand Marshal Leonidas, alongside Orion and Kraken, negotiated fiercely with Valerius, the Clown, Yriel, the Witch, and a mysterious demigod, demanding dominion over the entire Moon Sea and a superior rank in the Cult. Valerius countered with offers of one-third the sea and tribute, culminating in a pivotal proposal to elevate Leonidas to one of the Twelve Pontiffs, leaving the room in stunned silence as the trio conferred.

Under the piercing stares from Pontiff Valerius and the Cult of Four, Atlantis's three leaders seemed trapped in a deep, enigmatic meditation. With eyes shut tight and breaths perfectly aligned, it resembled an advanced hidden art employed to ponder the destiny of entire realms.

Truth was, they were simply firing off absurd jokes in the open chat of the Survivor's Platform.

That spot alone ensured their words stayed free from any prying ears.

[Leonidas]: Holy crap. Holy crap! You guys are not going to believe this. I'm actually going to be a Pontiff. A real damn Pontiff!

Leonidas's wild message hit like a bomb, jolting the hidden observers into action.

[Alexander]: Have you lost your mind?

To Alexander, this came off like the start of a terrible prank—or even worse, a total collapse of reason. Was Leonidas on the verge of turning into a Clown and cracking under pressure?

[Isabella]: Alexander, if he defects, I'm taking him out. Permission to engage?

Isabella stuck close to Alexander's lead. Backed by the Alliance's top powerhouse, her statement brimmed with bold confidence.

[Leonidas]: Watch your mouth, little girl. Who exactly do you think you're going to "take out"?

Had Alexander issued the warning, Leonidas would've brushed it aside with a chuckle and dared him to try. But Isabella? Her cockiness grated on him. She was a newcomer snapping at a seasoned fighter.

[Kraken]: Cool it, Boss. If you actually turn traitor, we won't need the rookie. I'll hunt you down myself. Call it a mercy kill. For the greater good.

That marked the contrast. Kraken delivered the identical warning—a vow of lethal pursuit—but from him, it rang like brotherly ribbing. It felt like a bond among peers. Leonidas stayed calm; oddly, the term "mercy kill" warmed him inside.

[Isabella]: Squiddy, who are you calling a rookie?

Kraken played it smooth, yet Isabella wasn't fooled. She spotted the escape route he dangled and took it, turning her fire away from the daunting Leonidas. Not that fear truly gripped her—Isabella saw all Awakened as rungs on her ladder. Leonidas remained a goal she hadn't climbed to yet. Right now, she aimed to outdo Orion and Kraken. Her pride soared to the heavens.

[Kraken]: Not my problem. You're Hulk's girl. Take it up with him.

Kraken, the deflection expert, swiftly blocked the attack and bounced it straight to Orion.

[Kraken]: Hulk told me himself. Said you were his... well, you know.

Orion hadn't even begun replying when Isabella erupted.

[Isabella]: Hulk! Get your ass out here. Explain this right now.

[Isabella]: Who is "your girl"? What is that supposed to mean?

Orion's comeback only fueled the blaze.

[Hulk]: My mistake. You aren't a girl.

[Hulk]: You're an old hag.

[Hulk]: Don't ask me how I know. You just admitted it yourself.

Orion struggled with calming things down, but he excelled at twisting situations around. If handed a steaming pile of trouble, he'd package it neatly, crush it further, and toss it right back.

[Isabella]: That's it. We are done. I challenge you, Hulk. I'm going to kill you.

Her fury seeped through the chat words. It stood as a bold call to battle.

From the chat's edges, Tangere observed in dread.

It's clear Leonidas is messing around, Tangere pondered, beads of sweat forming. Can't she see that? And now she aims to clash with the Hulk? Can he hold his own against her? Hold on... Hulk pulled me into this group. If she takes him down, will she target me afterward?

A ghostly shiver crept along Tangere's back. As the fresh recruit, staying silent and fretting over details was his main role.

Perhaps I ought to slip back to my home world temporarily, he reflected. Just ride out the storm. Stay under the radar.

His survival drive—the typical trait of someone who hides out—surged strongly.

[Edward]: Clear the channel.

The frenzy vanished in an instant. Deputy Commander Edward's command landed with the force of a judge's hammer.

At the same moment, Isabella and Tangere grasped the scary truth: they were silenced. The chat faded from their views.

Access denied. Now the grown-ups conversed, and the pair lacked the rank to eavesdrop.

[Leonidas]: Where's Mak? Usually, he's the first one to jump in when I start talking trash.

In typical scenarios, Makareth would've flooded the chat, probably outpacing Kraken's quips. His lack of presence stood out sharply.

[Edward]: He is unavailable. He is ascending to Arch Lord.

The revelation struck the three like a thunderclap. Leonidas, Orion, and Kraken shared glances in reality, lids still lowered.

Makareth had activated the Lord's Stone on his own. With ample Faith Energy—undoubtedly built up from holding the Demondrake lands for more than ten years—his rise was assured. Despite external meddling, Edward's projected presence had guarded the zone.

For Leonidas and Orion, this brought thrilling tidings. It signaled another powerhouse they could pull into their plots.

[Leonidas]: Commander, when Mak wakes up, give me a shout. With his... unique personality, he'd be perfect for an inside job. Actually, scratch that. If he's an Arch Lord, he deserves a cut of the action.

The shift in voice was clear. As Edward's pick, Leonidas adopted a polite, bargaining style—worlds apart from his jab at Isabella.

[Alexander]: Focus. The business at hand.

[Alexander]: If you don't explain yourself clearly, and you actually become a Pontiff for the Cult of Four, I will personally send you to the afterlife.

Yet another lethal warning. But from Alexander, it comforted Leonidas. It evoked the thrill of guarding a prized secret you itch to share, yet savoring your allies' eager frustration too much to reveal it at once.

[Leonidas]: Heh... alright, listen up. This little empire we built, Atlantis? It worked too well. We got their attention.

[Leonidas]: Right now, sitting across from me are four Pontiffs and a High Priestess. The Clown is here. The Witch is here. Valerius is here.

[Leonidas]: Boys, I have a question.

[Leonidas]: Do we want to go big? What if we ambush them right here? What if we wipe out the Cult of Four's entire leadership in the Silverwood Realm in one shot?

The idea weighed heavy yet thrilled like strong wine.

Orion sensed a rush of excitement. In their mind's eye, every gaze ignited with spark.

It posed a risk of wild magnitude. Yet success? Decimating the Cult's core right here and now?

The remaining Sea Race forces would fall like ripe fruit.