Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1394 The Price of Power

"He nearly scorched his very soul into cinders."

Orion grabbed Kaelen from behind and pulled him ahead, holding him up by the collar like a naughty pup in trouble.

The backlash from the [Divine Art: Blood Sacrifice] hit hard. Kaelen's life force had been sucked away so completely that his body shrank back in age. Gone was the youth; now he appeared as a small child, no older than three. With his bloodline control in ruins, he remained trapped in his battle shape—four little heads nodding around, eight plump limbs waving without aim.

He seemed even more helpless than Kronos or Pallas during their early days. He resembled a forsaken plaything from some beast.

"My little one... my little one!"

Sophia yanked Kaelen away from Orion's hold, pressing the child tight against her bosom. The iron will of a family leader shattered at last. Tears flowed freely as she hid her face in his locks.

"I swear... I swear you'll never face such peril again. Oh, Kaelen..."

Orion gave a shake of his head while observing her. He held no deep affection for Sophia—their bond was short, a mere exchange fueled by desire—but he grasped the situation. In this unforgiving realm, she raised him alone. Kaelen meant everything to her. She fussed endlessly over his food, his outfits, his tempers. Such intense, clinging devotion only bloomed when two souls stood against the storm with nothing else.

"Hold back those tears," Orion cut in sharply amid her cries. "Time's not on our side for this."

Sophia stifled a wail, lifting her gaze to him through misty vision, ready for his commands.

"Within twelve hours, the Demigods from the Chaos Continent will tear open a gateway close by," Orion declared firmly, brooking no debate. "You and Kaelen will join me."

"Regarding the Dark Butterfly Clan... they can trail us to the Dusk Continent. I'll secure them a fresh haven. Or they might linger here."

He bent forward a touch. "Yet I urge them to gather their things. Staying means constant scrutiny. The Demigods around here won't abide another loose element like Kaelen emerging. It's simpler to extinguish a flame than shield it from gusts."

"This land holds no safety for you now."

Minor Hell Dimension. Ashenheart Domain.

As his projection managed the relocation details, Orion's mind joined a top-tier meeting with his closest allies.

"You're joking, right?" Leonidas laughed derisively, his tone echoing loudly. "Something on the Chaos Continent that even gave you pause?"

Leonidas appeared truly puzzled. For Orion—a fresh Demigod—to show caution, the danger must rank at Second Circle or beyond. In every group, such a force acted as the ultimate shield.

The discovery that Orion had crossed paths with a powerhouse like that merely by arriving stirred unease.

"It fits if you consider it," Edward pondered aloud, stroking his jaw. He'd been poring over the information since Orion shared it.

"Mutations plague the Emerald Dream Realm. We're the recent arrivals; our presence here spans just a few decades. The ancient secrets of this world escape us."

"We might be mighty dragons venturing the stream," he went on, "yet the native serpents have coiled here for millennia. Absence of a Second Circle sighting doesn't prove they vanished. It only shows no one provoked them into revealing themselves until this moment."

The idea chilled them. Their Champions Alliance boasted their trump card—Commander Thresh—as the final safeguard. Logically, the homegrown powers harbored their own dormant titans.

"That suggests the Dawn Continent hides a counterpart," Arthas pointed out, linking the threads.

Should the Chaos Continent—long yielding territory to the Dawn Continent's dark forces—conceal a secret Demigod asset, the Dawn side surely possessed something fiercer to hold their edge.

"Stay vigilant around Pollard," Arthas warned. The Dawn faction's envoy had aided them previously, yet pacts in this realm shifted like ocean waves.

"The Emerald Dream Realm's depths run dark and tangled," the Deputy Commander summed up. He faced Orion. "Hulk, stay alert on the scans. Ensure no one strikes our base in our absence."

He invoked Orion's moniker, "Hulk," with ease. The mantle shifted hands. Prior to his rise, Orion relied on their guard. As a Demigod now, overseeing the Emerald Dream fell squarely on him. He became the fresh enforcer, while his comrades prepared to ease off and leave the routine to him.

"Hulk," Alexander broke his silence. The King of Conquerors had held quiet till then. "My bond with the Asura Sword remains unfinished. I must keep my attention fixed here. Guide Isabella in my stead."

"Should war erupt, place her at the forefront. Allow her some scars."

Orion arched a brow. Alexander piled on more duties.

"The Queen possesses skill," Alexander assessed evenly, with a hint of critique. "And drive. Yet her arrogance blinds her. She lacks the savvy for politics."

"She won't stoop to schmoozing. Refuses to act the bootlicker or blind follower. That stance costs her chances. She's lagging in the race."

Alexander spoke truth. Within their ranks, climbers like Kraken and Makareth excelled at subtle arts. They mastered charm, connections, and irreplaceable value.

Consider Kraken. A silver-tongued charmer and bold admirer, yet he delivered results. From the Dragon War to Atlantis's operations, he toiled relentlessly. Thus, Leonidas and Orion backed him always. In spoils or lands, they ensured his share.

Isabella kept her distance, haughty. Seeking victory through prowess only, she frequently overlooked when the "schemer" types divvied rewards.

"I admire it," Alexander said, meeting Orion's stare. "Each chooses their path. If begging offends her, so be it. Let her earn her keep through battle."

"Pride defines her. But against real might, it's empty. Temper her, Hulk. Render her effective."