Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1461 A Meal of Light

"Since you won't strike first, I guess it's time for me to go."

Makareth stuck out a lengthy, blood-red tongue, slobbering over his mouth in a sickening show of appetite. In the blink of an eye, his shape blurred fiercely. A dark figure peeled away from his body—a flawless, outline twin of the Demon.

This shadow had no details except for two shining red eyes that emitted overwhelming force.

It vanished in a flash, appearing right behind Albrecht and encircling the High Inquisitor with its limbs in a twisted imitation of a hug.

"Welcome to the Fragmented World," Makareth's voice grated, deep and vicious.

Before Albrecht had a chance to respond, the fabric of reality twisted. He got dragged into a weird realm devoid of any vitality—no peaks, no streams, no flying creatures. No heavens above, no ground below. Albrecht sensed he was stuck in a mere drawing, a two-dimensional space lacking all hues.

Right when he tried to sense his environment, the realm broke apart.

And so did Albrecht.

It was like his 3D form got squashed into a thin page, with countless unseen grips ripping him from all sides.

Agony. Total, deadly torment.

As soon as Albrecht clung to a bit of awareness, thankful for enduring the initial assault, the next break struck.

Torment, followed by blackness. His mind broke into pieces. He perished.

As his thoughts crumbled, his Body of Faith fell apart.

The strike from a top-tier Demon was just as fearsome as the might Orion had commanded before.

In the real world, with Albrecht's death, the shadow attached to him disappeared. Makareth beat his tough wings, touching down next to the remains. He dropped his jaw open to a ghastly one-hundred-and-eighty degrees and gulped down Albrecht in one go.

Belch.

Makareth rubbed his belly, his gaze weighted with a tipsy, blissful haze. He seemed about to doze off.

"Ugh... that Holy attribute really gives me indigestion."

Now that the fight ended and the two elite scouts from the Holy Order lay slain, the signal for war had truly sounded.

"The allied forces haven't arrived yet. Let's head to the next drop point."

Protected by Makareth and Elara, Aina experienced a profound feeling of security. Their main goal right now was to allow the undead army to expand into an invincible horde and guide their comrades in without harm.

"Sis, you keep an eye on the borders. I'm gonna catch some sleep," Makareth muttered to Elara before contracting into the Demon troops and sinking into a profound rest.

Titanion Realm, Stoneheart City.

Seated on his throne, Orion awoke and directed his sight northward.

With the Stoneheart Horde having conquered the whole continent, all the territory belonged to him. Nothing major could slip past his perception.

Moments ago, he had sensed a brief trace of an odd Archlord in the heart of the land.

"Too fast," Orion pondered.

Despite the assets and lands from the Wormholes Realm, the Insectoid Race couldn't evolve an Archlord so quickly on their own. Something felt off about this.

Being a Demigod, Orion relied on his instincts.

Only a handful of explanations existed. One involved the otherworldly Insectoids having a hidden way to boost their power by force. This seemed improbable; not even a fighter like the Commander possessed such a trick.

That pointed to a single conclusion: The Broodmother or Insect King that came along with the Wormholes Realm was already an Archlord or beyond. What they witnessed in the Wormholes Realm was just a projection or a reborn form.

"The wilds are no longer safe."

"Dace," Orion ordered the vacant space. "Send out the command. Make Gustalon the Vice Commander of the Third Legion. Tell him to clear the insect hordes from North to South, beginning at Blackstone City."

Kaelen's Second Legion was pushing southward from Stoneheart, yet despite two forces laboring without stop, huge openings persisted.

At present, the chaotic central area was where Insectoids thrived the most.

Theodore's domain, the Northern Bastion of Menethis, bordered this area, leaving the city open to endless bug attacks.

"The sweep isn't tight enough. The Fourth Legion... needs to wait."

Orion chose his Vice Commanders carefully. Kaelen and Gustalon both showed promise to reach Archlord status. He planned for Dirtclaw to command the Fourth Legion, though the gnoll remained in isolation at the Stoneheart Temple.

Dirtclaw's nature—reliable, exact, and merciless—fit ideally for these purge tasks.

Orion pulled his attention from the north, cast a quick look south, and gradually shut his eyes, drifting back into repose.

South, Soaring Bird City.

After the Insectoids seized the city, the thugs and outlaws who had dominated it before largely couldn't flee. They got eaten, with no traces left, not even fragments of bone.

Soaring Bird City lay on the straightest path linking the Human Kingdoms to the Stoneheart Horde. Controlling it meant the bugs had severed a crucial supply line.

Lately, the secret dens of the "local emperors"—warlords who escaped the kingdoms to govern tiny patches—were being found and overwhelmed by the expanding swarm. Numerous refugees heading to the Stoneheart Horde for refuge met their end under the insects' talons in Soaring Bird City.

The Second Legion's approach wasn't meant to save the warlords. It served a tactical purpose. Soaring Bird City lay too near the Stoneheart Horde; Orion wouldn't tolerate the swarm multiplying freely so close to home.

Ten miles from Soaring Bird City, under the thick cover of a woodland, three individuals huddled with Kaelen inside a strategy tent.

They consisted of Thundar, Godfrey, and Aldwyn.

Thundar, a battle-hardened member of the Giant Tribe, had been tasked by Orion to offer Kaelen expert advice. Godfrey and Aldwyn served as knights; Godfrey held a senior post in the volunteer legion, and Aldwyn was the explorer who delivered the swarm reports. Both were deeply familiar with the city's layout.

"Your Highness, Soaring Bird City splits into Inner and Outer sections," Godfrey described, indicating spots on a chart laid out over a crude table. "The Inner City holds mainly grand halls and ancient forts, built with hidden passages and cellars. These places are prime for being missed."

"According to Horde intelligence, these are also the top spots for a hive."

He marked the vital zones.

"However, the intel provided by the Horde hasn't verified the existence of an Insect King."

"He is either well-hidden, or he doesn't exist."

Godfrey glanced at Aldwyn. He held no suspicion toward the man—as a knight himself, he fully believed in Aldwyn's integrity—but the mismatch troubled him.

"Your Highness, I guarantee it," Aldwyn affirmed. "The night I got away, I spotted the Insectman. He was perched on the walls, lifting a trident and howling at the heavens."

For the present Stoneheart Horde, wiping out a swarm was theoretically a standard procedure.

With the organized troops, enchanted items, and the custom flame oils they carried, the Second Legion was fully prepared to scorch the plague away.