Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1467 Reborn in Hellfire

A prolonged and splendid vision filled his mind.

In his dream, Dirtclaw traversed endless seas and conquered towering summits, stepping into a domain brimming with sheer marvel.

He envisioned himself rising to the rank of Demigod. Perched upon the celestial dome, he overlooked the minuscule and vulnerable existences scurrying across the ground with utter detachment.

Within the dream, Dirtclaw wielded unchallenged dominion. Armies numbering in the thousands obeyed his every word, a surging wave of iron and rage supporting him.

In that dream, champions fell to his personal grasp, interred by his own strength.

In the dream, he snuffed out all vitality across a whole realm.

Merely as that realm disintegrated into ashes and the Void surged forward did Dirtclaw grasp the reality. Before him loomed a colossal being whose stature transcended understanding—a titan boasting four heads and eight limbs, evoking boundless reverence, zeal, and adoration within Dirtclaw.

"Awaken... awaken... awaken..."

Orion's tone carried an otherworldly quality, yet it brimmed with authoritative weight.

The sound echoed straight within Dirtclaw's mind, unleashing a fierce tremor across his essence.

That tremor caused the vision to fracture. Awareness rushed in as Dirtclaw jolted to wakefulness.

"My Lord!"

They perched upon an elevated summit. Orion positioned himself at the cliff's edge, facing away from Dirtclaw, while peering at the turbulent Sea of Blood far beneath.

Despite the view from behind, Dirtclaw recognized him right away.

"Examine your shape," Orion instructed, not bothering to turn. "Check whether it responds to your will."

Though puzzled, Dirtclaw never challenged a directive. He directed his attention inside himself.

He stiffened in place.

A muzzle like a dog's. A tail resembling a dragon's. A frame covered in red, dragon-like armor plating. The tail's end bore a sinister, spiked barb resembling a mix of hook and dagger.

Dirtclaw had reverted to his Gnoll appearance, but the essence flowing in his blood was unmistakably from a Stoneheart Titan.

This odd merging represented a change that respected the deepest yearning of his being. Without dire compulsion, no being genuinely loathes its own species.

An itch plagued his head. On impulse, he lifted a hand to rub his fur.

His fingers returned holding a clump of infernal flames.

Dirtclaw gazed at his hand. The infernal flames seemed known to him. They posed no threat; they felt close, as if an extension of himself. Urge guided him to restore the blaze to his crown.

Hold on.

That... a moment ago?

Infernal flames? Instead of fur?

Dawning comprehension struck. He lifted his hand once more to gather some flames from his head. His fur had transformed into a crown of alive infernal flames, flickering and moving under his control.

"My Lord... what occurred to me?"

Dirtclaw extended his arms, inspecting a physique that seemed foreign yet ideal.

"The Blood Sea devoured your former shell," Orion explained, at last rotating to confront him. "The Divine Kingdom crafted a fresh one for you. It matches your spirit. More robust. Greater promise."

Upon catching the terms more robust and greater promise, Dirtclaw attempted to call forth his prior force—his surpassing might.

Terror ignited.

His surpassing might had vanished. Replacing it surged a daunting stream of force, recognizable but different, primordial and burdensome.

"What... what sort of force is this?"

"Divine power."

Orion allowed the phrase to linger. He provided no additional details. Certain realities demanded grasping through effort, not handouts.

While Dirtclaw concentrated on mastering this fresh deluge, an overwhelming might coursed through him. An invisible guidance stirred, a drive deep in his core.

He yielded to that urge.

He lost track of time spent in that meditative state, but upon reopening his eyes, Dirtclaw clutched a tiny item.

It resembled an unmarked, tiny gravestone.

"This... what could it be?"

Astonishment turned to incredulity. Dirtclaw failed to fathom when he gained this peculiar talent.

"That represents Authority."

Orion gestured toward the slab. "It forms one of the principles governing the Abyssal World. The decree of the God of the Grave."

Divine Kingdom. Authority. God of the Grave. Rules.

Dirtclaw felt adrift. He wasn't a Demigod; such ideas lay far outside his grasp.

"You're aware of Soraya's command over the Desert, right?"

Dirtclaw bobbed his head eagerly. He had long coveted that strength.

"In your possession," Orion stated, "lies the Authority of Burial."

"Ah..."

Understanding fell into alignment. Shivers ran through Dirtclaw. He had claimed something extraordinary, beyond imagination—something once only fantasized.

"My Lord, does this signify... could I possibly rise to Archlord?"

"Heh."

Orion laughed lightly. The Gnoll grasped nothing of the significance in his grip.

"You qualify as an Archlord."

"That slab," Orion indicated, "serves as your Body of Faith."

Noting the stunned expression on Dirtclaw's features, Orion gave an uncommon clarification. "Your determination stands firm. It delights me, and it aligns seamlessly with this domain's Burial Authority. You're beyond a simple Archlord; you've become my Exarch. You can draw on some of my divine power."

Orion smiled broadly. "Armed with that slab, you'll demolish any standard Archlord bold enough to oppose you."

Amazement? Dismay?

Amusement sparkled in Orion's gaze as he observed enlightenment overwhelm his follower.

Thud.

Dirtclaw sank to his knees.

"Praise be to my Lord!"

"Gratitude for your benevolence! Gratitude for your kindness!"

"Dirtclaw shall carry out your desires!"

Observing the Gnoll prostrating on the earth, Orion emitted a brief chuckle. He raised his leg and booted Dirtclaw right over the Divine Kingdom's brink.

"Stop the flattery!"

While Dirtclaw tumbled downward, Orion's words pursued him.

"I appoint you Leader of the Fourth Legion. Your mission: purge all Insectoids from the Titan continent."

"Dirtclaw! I demand you attain the pinnacle to inter the skies, inter the ground, and inter every creature alive!"

Orion's decree boomed across the Stoneheart Temple and resounded throughout Stoneheart's whole settlement.

"Thanks for your benevolence, my Lord!"

"Dirtclaw will not disappoint..."

The fawning cries dwindled away as Dirtclaw vanished from sight.

At that moment, Orion shifted his attention to Onyx and the rest, who continued their arduous ascent of the peak.

Regrettably, the Divine Kingdom showed no response to any of them so far.

The rise of the God of the Grave—this particular Divine Calling—had drawn away a share of Orion's belief and a sliver of the domain's auxiliary rule. At first glance, it seemed to weaken Orion's personal strength.

Yet over time, it yielded unadulterated gain.

The unmarked gravestone that Dirtclaw produced embodied the tangible essence of the Burial Authority. For expansion, Dirtclaw required supplying it with immense quantities of Faith Energy or ceaseless offerings.

Most of that belief and those offerings would channel directly back to the Abyssal World.

In essence, the Divine Calling functioned like establishing a fresh vein for the domain to draw sustenance from external realms. The greater the number of such pathways Orion established, the quicker his power would amass.

That notion summoned two particular individuals into Orion's thoughts.