Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1468 Goddess of Winter

Lumi and Gustalon.

Due to their special essence as beings of pure elements, might they provoke a response from the Divine Kingdom?

The idea struck him right away. Without a second thought, Orion left the domain immediately.

He journeyed northward, toward the Endless Tundra.

The Great Snowy Mountain embodied deep tranquility. It stretched out as an infinite field of white, with summits crowding together like icy sentinels of the North—timeless, grand, and stern.

As soon as Orion appeared midway up the main summit, the sturdy doors of the Ice Phoenix Palace creaked apart.

Snowflakes started descending over the land. They didn't merely float; they twirled. The crystals spun with evident delight, a wordless celebration carried on the breeze.

This mirrored the feelings in Lumi's soul.

'You came.'

Her tone stayed frosty, yet the warmth in it shone through. Lumi kept her distant demeanor like the ice she ruled, but she approached Orion directly, extended her hand, and softly outlined his jawline.

Next, she slipped into his arms.

'I missed you. I needed to see you.'

Orion chuckled, scooping her up with ease. He whirled her amid the snowfall, a burst of heat amid the chill. The gusts roared, the flakes calmed, and two spirits discovered their haven in each other.

Time ceased to matter.

Orion stirred in the enormous bed inside the Ice Phoenix Palace, with Lumi nestled beside him.

'Return to Stoneheart with me. Remain there for some time.'

Lumi paused, her eyelashes brushing his chest, yet she agreed with a nod.

In reality, Lumi loathed the southern warmth. She held no fondness for crowded urban areas or the clamor of society. She yearned for quiet. She cherished the presence of ice masses and the whisper of breezes. To her, a fierce snowstorm represented the finest scenery imaginable.

Orion understood this well. He never pressured her. Only in dire circumstances—such as when conflict called—did he draw her from her serenity.

'Aren't you curious about my reason for visiting?'

Orion's fingers roamed, cradling her breast. The feel was distinctive—chilly on the surface, but emitting a profound, vital heat from deep inside.

'This place is your refuge,' she breathed.

The implication rang true: You are my sanctuary. You arrive and depart freely. I remain yours eternally.

It served as a straightforward, heart-wrenching vow of devotion.

Overwhelmed by tender emotions, Orion shifted atop her, pinning her to the bedding.

'Lumi, you're so cold. Allow me to heat you.'

'...'

Lumi averted her face, bashfully dodging his eyes, even as she didn't resist him.

Her garments didn't rip or slip off; they vanished like thawing frost, exposing her completely. Beyond the walls, the storm intensified, mirroring the growing fervor inside the halls.

...

'Dirtclaw got a Divine Calling. He's now the God of the Grave.'

Orion stroked Lumi's hair, his tone growing grave. 'His destiny links forever to mine and the Divine Kingdom. As I grow mightier, his potential expands without limit.'

'I hope you'll attempt to access the Divine Kingdom. Should it succeed, you'd rise to Archlord right away via the domain's strength. You'd draw my Divine Power straight from the source.'

He stopped, gazing into her eyes. 'However, there's a price. It would tie you to me utterly. Your path would merge with mine. I'll honor any decision you reach.'

Orion realized that for spirits of elements, time typically forged strength. If Lumi endured, she'd gain power in due course. She had no need for this rapid path.

'I'll accompany you.'

Her response came without delay. She mentioned neither strength nor status. It stemmed from utter faith. Your steps guide mine.

Orion quieted. Though she consented, doubt crept into him.

Lumi was his partner, not his follower. Deep down, she possessed the freedom to depart, to follow her desires. To anchor her seemed... permanent.

'If we proceed, we'll share eternity, right?'

Lumi's words flowed gently, crisp like fresh water, yet tinged with subtle longing.

Orion's doubts faded. He drew her nearer.

'Yes. Eternity together.'

***

The Divine Kingdom. The Abyssal World.

Orion positioned himself on a lofty ridge, clasping Lumi's hand; she once more donned white. Beneath stretched untamed, formless meadows into the distance.

'It's immense,' she whispered. 'And... pulsing with life.'

'This serves as your Divine Kingdom?'

'The laws here feel whole. It brims with energy.'

The contrast in views was sharp. Dirtclaw had detected only soil. Lumi, attuned to raw forces, perceived the detailed fabric of existence.

'Snow exists here.'

Lumi reached out. A flawless, gem-like snowflake appeared over her hand, floating and spinning leisurely.

'It welcomes me.' She faced Orion, her gaze filled with wonder.

'This realm belongs to me,' Orion smiled, revealing his bright teeth. 'How could it turn you away?'

'Resist nothing. Drop all defenses. Simply... sense it.'

Orion retreated, allowing Lumi to test his idea.

Lumi inclined her head and shut her eyes.

Moments appeared to freeze. While Orion tracked the domain's shifts, a soft crystal touched his cheek.

Then a second.

It came from Lumi.

Eyes sealed, she had unraveled. She no longer occupied the ridge; she embodied the gale and the flurry.

The swirls encircled Orion—mischievous, inquisitive, tender... and flirtatious. Her sentiments reached him via the frost's brush. It grazed his features like an intimate stroke, then, as if bidding adieu, it scattered afar.

The snowfall expanded. It rushed to the skyline, blanketing the vast domain.

On that day, the Abyssal World welcomed its initial winter.

Not a fierce gale, merely a delicate, unspoiled veil of white over the terrain. Yet its arrival signaled a massive advance in the realm's growth.

Orion figured that intricate principles such as seasonal turns would require ages to emerge on their own. So far, the Divine Kingdom recognized only light and dark.

Whoosh!

While Orion admired the transformation, a sharp northern gust arose.

Abruptly, the floating snow reversed course. It rushed to the realm's farthest north.

At the same instant, Orion detected a change in the world's Authority. A particular rule detached from the disorder, gathering in the northern expanse.

Orion's gaze brightened. He vanished and reappeared at the frozen zone.

The soil quaked. The ground rumbled as it thrust skyward. Here, the flakes poured denser, entombing the earth swiftly, forming mounds several feet high.

He observed peaks emerging from the flatlands. He saw ice sheets taking shape.

In mere heartbeats, an ice mountain chain, thousands of miles wide, commanded the northern territory.

Atop the tallest summit, frost shards intertwined, reshaping into a massive edifice: a fresh Ice Phoenix Palace.

Beyond the entrance, the gale twisted into a whirlwind. Lumi's shape reformed from the blizzard.

She posed motionless in the tempest, a Winter Deity, graceful and dignified.

Her outfit had transformed. She sported a flowing robe crafted from fresh powder, immaculate and perfect. The skirt's edge sparkled with tiny frost gems that tinkled faintly with her motion. Flakes circled her, each emitting a cool, soothing force.

She stunned him.

Yet the greatest alteration hovered over her forehead.

A diadem, clear and hewn from the toughest permafrost, emerged, hardening bit by bit.

It embodied Authority made tangible. It proved the Divine Kingdom hadn't just embraced her; it had elevated her as a sovereign.

Orion beheld the sight in wonder. He hadn't reached the Fourth Demigod stage fully; he couldn't yet bestow such roles deliberately. Typically, he'd require that rank to remove a lesser Authority and confer a Divine Calling.

But in this case, the Divine Kingdom decided on its own.

As the frost diadem completed, Lumi's presence surged. Her strength soared upward, breaking limits, surging beyond base levels until it settled solidly as a High Archlord.