Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1543 Absolute Lockdown

"No one knows exactly what is coming, so it never hurts to be prepared."

The apocalypse was already unfolding, showing pity to none.

"Pass down the order. In three days, every major city in the Horde goes into absolute lockdown. No one gets in, no one gets out."

"Send word to the scattered outland clans. Tell them to evacuate to the nearest fortified city immediately. Warn them that the realms are colliding. If they ignore the summons, their blood is on their own hands."

A chill laced Orion's voice. Kings carried heavy duties, and he upheld his. The sun's half-day absence failed to rattle hardened clans. Northern tribes, inured to months-long polar darkness, might brush aside this shadow as commonplace. They had to grasp the dire stakes.

"Next, sound the war horns across all cities. Mobilize the garrisons and the volunteer legions. Prepare for immediate combat."

"Unseal the teleportation gates between the major cities to let our people retrieve their distant families."

"Finally, issue a public decree: for the duration of the war, the Horde's royal vaults are open to anyone possessing military merits. No restrictions on status, gender, age, or origin."

Commands burst from Orion like rapid-fire shots. Trailing him, Lilith orchestrated as the women snatched duties fitting their strengths and dashed off to fulfill his decrees.

Just half a day on, the announcement raced through Stoneheart City, morphing the heartland into a frantic swarm of motion. Shockingly, fear or hysteria didn't choke the air—it pulsed with raw thrill.

Spots like Seeker and the Silent Goblet buzzed with this energy most. Regulars prowling these dens shone with blatant greed.

Inside Seeker, the elite auction hall.

"My Lord, the materials you requested are exceptionally rare. We are still tracking them down. I estimate it will take at least six months to transport them here."

A breathtaking succubus server scanned stock for Nivarus in a lavish VIP nook. Nivarus's face twisted in frustration. A Seeker habitué he was, yet no child of the Titanion Realm. He'd breached dimensional barriers on Seeker's golden whisper alone: the treasures he craved lay in this budding world.

Nivarus held High Lord rank. Power's next leap demanded broader domains and swelling ranks of devotees. His birth realm brimmed with turf hogged by rooted titans. Rising there outmatched assaulting celestial peaks.

"My Lord, take a look at this decree newly issued by the Stoneheart Horde." The succubus offered Nivarus a finely scripted scroll—Seeker's flawless replica of the royal announcement.

"This world is undergoing a metamorphosis. As the realms collide and fuse, vast tracts of unclaimed territory will be born. This world is about to become a goldmine. Choosing to align with the faction we recommend would be a highly profitable investment."

Her sales spiel flowed with a brilliant, polished grin. From Lilith's succubus kin she sprang, cleared brutal trials for Seeker duty. Drills there flung wide her worldview, arming deep insight into far realms and strange folk. Pride in the Stoneheart Horde burned hot within her; she knew the majesty of their banner's shadow.

"The Horde's royal vaults are opening to the public," she went on, jabbing the key line on the scroll. "As long as you possess enough military merits, you can exchange them for anything in the treasury. According to our branch manager, the Horde's vaults contain a staggering stockpile of restricted, priceless artifacts."

"My Lord, the very materials you have been hunting for? The Horde has them in stock." She dipped in a courteous bow, planting the hook just as the Horde schemed. Seeker fed this intel on purpose to lure top foreign guns. To her eyes, a High Lord like Nivarus screamed ideal sellsword stock.

"The Stoneheart Horde's vaults? Open for merits?" Nivarus's gaze ignited with fierce craving. He scanned the scroll hungrily, absorbing each phrase. "Are you certain they have what I'm looking for?"

"Indeed, My Lord. And it is not just materials. If you are willing, you could even earn..."

…

Meanwhile, in the Outer City, the Silent Goblet was booming.

The third floor of the tavern was usually a quiet sanctuary, hosting maybe seven or eight patrons on a good day. Today, every booth and private parlor was booked solid.

"I don't think I've ever seen the third floor this packed," bard Cloudsong reflected, sipping slowly from his ale while eyeing the endless flow of unknown faces climbing the stairs. These were obviously outsiders, not locals from the Stoneheart Horde.

Grand Magus Rhazuun reclined deeply into a luxurious leather couch, refusing both food and drink, completely dismissing the lively masses. He genuinely held no concern for these foreigners.

"Seeker spreads a handful of rumors, harvests enormous gains, and pulls in a flood of free fighters for the Horde," Rhazuun commented flatly. "These roaming scavengers and mercenaries will prove ideal cannon fodder."

These sellswords amounted to mere ambient chatter for Rhazuun, potentially adding minor hurdles to his Order of the Dandelion's stunning premiere in the impending war. The Order had deliberately sent a top-tier team of war mages to battle alongside the Stoneheart Horde, biding their time to erupt in a breathtaking surge of arcane power and seize the limelight.

"Has Her Highness returned yet?" Cloudsong inquired, turning his gaze to his longtime companion. Naturally, he meant Elara.

"She hasn't, nor does she intend to. This battlefield belongs to the Fourth Highness alone," Rhazuun answered with unexpected calm.

Cloudsong anticipated a flood of grievances from his friend over the matter, yet Rhazuun appeared totally unperturbed.

"That sparkle lights your eyes," Cloudsong observed, scrutinizing the mage. "The kind that appears when you hold a highly profitable secret."

Rhazuun leaned forward, barely containing his eager smile. "My friend, hear this secret: Her Highness led the vanguard and seized a full domain for the Stoneheart Horde. She's received a vast fief of her own. With a whole realm now under her rule, the petty fights here mean nothing to her."

Rhazuun buzzed with excitement. His Order had staked big on Elara, assigning a dedicated mage unit to her group. Shockingly, that unit trailed her into another dimension, claimed complete triumph, and every member ascended to arcane nobility in her freshly won territory.

Upon arriving at the Order of the Dandelion's base, the intel reports silenced the demigod elders. While others remained clueless, the Order grasped the Holy Order's sheer dreadfulness. Tearing the World of Eldoria from Goddess Agaman's clutches... it shattered their prior grasp of Orion's strength and the Stoneheart Horde's horrifying base.

Precisely that insight drove the Order of the Dandelion to hurl elite mage legions at the Horde, eagerly offering their support.