Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1465 Legacy of the Gallows

Indeed, Caesar grasped the idea right away. His gaze sparkled with sudden insight.

"Outstanding. I've been tossing and turning at night about how sluggish my foot soldiers are. Lady Aurora, your coming has filled the largest gap in our lineup."

Caesar possessed an odd habit—he treated every woman he admired like kin. Aerin became his sister, Aina turned into his sister, and the fearsome Elara even earned the title "Big Sis" in his speech. He was a relentless family expander.

"Brother Tangere, rest easy. I'll ensure my troops mesh flawlessly with the Brawnbulls!"

Aurora smiled brightly. Being acknowledged, appreciated, and swiftly woven into the plan—it fulfilled all her expectations.

The Boss is brilliant, she mused, buzzing with ease. Bribe wisely, smooth the way. The Kraken Strategy always delivers.

Rely on the Boss, reap the rewards.

In that instant, Aurora, a trial member of the Champions Alliance, cemented her spot within Orion's close group.

Central Region, The Agaman Diocese.

The Agaman Holy Order formed the pulsing core of the theocracy, the main force uniting the various dioceses.

As the massive bell atop the city's central tower rang out nine times—prolonged, sorrowful tones that echoed deep in the body—the whole area sank into silence, soon exploding into wild commotion.

Nine rings marked the start of a True Holy War.

It signaled complete call-up. The old folks, the kids, the females— all were soldiers for the Holy Order now. Such was the creed. It stood as the supreme trial of devotion to the Goddess.

Inside the Cathedral, Private Sacristy.

Cardinal Maelric waved goodbye to the tearful believers with a warm, gracious smile. He pivoted, entered his personal chamber, and once the thick oak door latched closed, the pious look evaporated from his features like mist in a storm.

"High Inquisitors Albrecht and Cavendish have gone back to the Goddess's arms."

The sound emerged from the gloom in the room's corner. It belonged to the Commander of the Inquisition. This occasion, his tone wasn't merely icy; it cracked with bottled fury.

"I'm much more curious about the events in the Andor Diocese," the Shadow Commander snarled. "Why didn't the High Priest of Andor alert us to this danger? Why was there no call for help?"

Each diocese under the Holy Order had a High Priest at its helm—a true Lord-class expert. For the Andor Diocese to sink into heresy, with two High Inquisitors perishing and the regional chiefs staying mute... it resembled a whole zone gone deaf and sightless.

"You refer to Orel?"

The darkness moved, oozing disdain. "I loathe delivering grim tidings, but when the Inquisition picked up the trail, Orel had already relocated. He bolted to a different plane altogether."

The murmur from the shadows carried biting derision. To the Inquisition, the outward-facing priests were empty facades—decaying veggies gilded by Holy Light. They were sly, evasive schemers who slipped away when trouble brewed.

"From the documents we salvaged amid Andor's wreckage, Orel probed the oddity beyond Grimm once—just after the hurricane emerged."

"Right after, he submitted a move request. A shift you greenlit, Maelric."

Cardinal Maelric's expression soured. He saw he'd been duped. His underlings had been filtering the intel fed to him.

"Our guess is that Orel spotted the hurricane, identified the mark of a Demigod-tier clash, and grasped that a godly conflict loomed," the Commander went on. "Thus, he hid the data and escaped."

"Luckily, a flicker of guilt remained in him. He scattered hints along the way."

The tone from the shadows intensified, thrumming with fury and cruel delight.

"You forever blame the Inquisition for causing chaos in your territories, Maelric. Yet in reality, the decay begins with those 'reliable aides' you rely on so heavily. Don't you believe it?"

Noting Maelric's forehead crease, the Shadow Commander let out a sinister laugh.

"The creator of the Hellscream group—that enigmatic Saintess—is Grand Duke Astravale's youngest child."

"She ought to have been a pious devotee of the Holy Order, an aristocrat fond of journeys and benevolence. Her dossier stacks a foot tall. We tracked all her paths, all her contacts. She earned fame for her compassion, untouched by typical noble flaws."

Eldoria served as the Holy Order's domain. They monitored the lineage of every creature in the herd.

"Yet here's the secret you missed," the Commander murmured.

"A deposit of Holy Light Ore surfaced on Grand Duke Astravale's estate. To the Order, this promised fortune. If the Duke had joined forces, rewards of riches and authority would have flowed to him. Indeed, that was his aim."

Maelric's brow jerked. No such dispatch had crossed his desk.

"Care to hear the outcome?"

"Your 'faithful' aide, Orel, buried the find. He craved the vein for his own gain. So, he branded Grand Duke Astravale a blasphemer. He doomed the whole clan to execution."

"Wiping out a lineage is routine work. But Orel slipped up. He permitted the daughter to flee."

The sound showed no care for the ethics of killing. The Inquisition had witnessed darker deeds.

"That young woman... she possesses skill. In some manner, she reached out to an Outer God—a blasphemous being—and employed a banned technique to fool the Realm Wards, letting these infidels invade our lands."

"In this way, Hellscream arose. And today, a Demigod eyes our realm."

The murmur in the gloom grew somber. When uttering "Evil God," they indicated a Demigod. A peril that could shatter societies.

"Curious for details?" the Commander jeered, his voice flipping from serious to scornful. "Time to cover the Black Shura, Raveth."

"Let's think... his kin controlled Port Caelwyn. His grandfather's domain. And presently? It looks like your forces claimed that area too."

"Ah, and Port Caelwyn got a new name from Hellscream. They dub it 'Sunless City' these days."

"Heh... Sunless. A spot untouched by Holy Light."

The bold taunt caused veins to throb on Maelric's forehead. He clutched his desk's rim until the timber creaked.

"Plus the rest of them," the shadow pressed on without mercy. "Ghost Shura Kharos, Flame Shura Ashkar, Iron Shura Eryx... want to go over their turning points? Ghost Shura Kharos was merely—"

"ENOUGH!"

Maelric bellowed, his shout snapping like a lash.

He drew in a ragged breath, fixing his eyes on the blackness beyond the entrance.

"If the Inquisition uncovered all this corruption," Maelric challenged, half-standing from his seat, "why didn't you alert me? Why didn't you allow me to purge the tainted?"

"Why?"