Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1632 Honor Among Thieves

"Gods above," Orion muttered, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the swirling chaos of the vortex. "There are other roots in the mix. Someone else is siphoning the World Essence."

His suspicion immediately locked onto three targets.

"Those sneaky bastards," he spat, though a grim smile tugged at his lips. "Even in the middle of a grand sacrifice, they won't pass up a chance to line their own pockets."

He almost felt a flicker of pity for Archbishop Kysar. While the man was pouring every ounce of his strength into tethering these worlds, his three 'comrades' were busy driving daggers into his back. Orion had no intention of exposing them, nor would he interfere. Instead, he leaned into his own connection, focused entirely on gorging himself on the siphoned World Essence to bolster his own power.

In the void beyond, within the Divine Kingdom known as The Asura Zenith...

Since Orion had merged his primary Divine Vessel into the Titanion Realm, The Asura Zenith had been left vulnerable. Without the Vessel's protection, the realm felt like an orphaned child, drifting precariously through the predatory currents of the primordial chaos.

Only its ability to slowly pull latent energy from the void kept it from being torn apart by the astral tides and obliterated.

"What is happening?"

Lumi, the Warden of Winter, stood outside the Stoneheart Temple. Beside her stood Gustalon, the Windspeaker. Together, they gazed upward at a miracle unfolding across the vault of their sky.

With the Divine Vessel gone, most of the realm was at risk of being scoured clean by the winds of chaos. The inhabitants had been forced to huddle near the Stoneheart Temple just to survive.

"I don't know," Lumi replied, her voice cold and distant. Orion rarely consulted her unless a catastrophe required her direct intervention. "But it doesn't feel like a threat. Look—the Authority we hold over this world is rising."

Gustalon closed his eyes, a gentle breeze stirring around him as he reached out with his senses. "It's true. The world is stabilizing!"

He opened his eyes, radiating a rare joy. For a world on the brink of collapse, this was the first good news they had received in an age. Orion had left them here because, as high-tier elemental beings, their mastery over the realm's Authority was the only thing keeping the Divine Kingdom from shattering.

"Look! At the zenith!" Gustalon pointed upward.

High above, World Essence began to coalesce into a shimmering seed. It swelled into a sphere of pure light before fracturing. From the shards, a colossal, translucent silhouette emerged.

The figure continued to drink from the torrent of World Essence, growing until it draped across the entire sky. For a terrifying moment, Lumi and Gustalon feared the entity would outgrow the realm and shatter it. Instead, the silhouette turned inward, enveloping the Divine Kingdom like a protective shroud.

Light flooded the world. In the desolate regions far from the temple, long-dormant flora began to bloom. New life stirred in the dirt. The dying Divine Kingdom was being reborn.

"What is he doing?" Lumi whispered.

There was no answer, for Orion was far too occupied to respond. That translucent shadow was the beginning of a new Divine Vessel—a nascent protector forged to shield his drifting kingdom from the terrors of the void.

In the Stoneheart Horde, Ironbone City...

This was Thundar's fief, a territory Orion had granted the Ironbone Giants as compensation. Orion had never shown favoritism among the four giant lineages. Whether they were Stoneheart Titans or not, he ensured every branch had land to call their own and the right to preserve their ancestral bloodlines.

However, Thundar, the lord of Ironbone City, loathed the place. He was a staunch Stoneheart loyalist, unlike the traditionalists within the Ironbone race who insisted on keeping their blood "pure." Because of their stubbornness, many talented youths had missed the chance to undergo the Stoneheart transformation.

Thundar considered these traditionalists a weight around the Horde's neck, stifling the potential of the next generation. Eventually, he grew so frustrated that he left the city in the hands of his son, Dregbone, telling him to deal with the "old fossils" himself.

Dregbone, however, was even less patient than his father. He didn't bother with diplomacy. He spent his days as acting lord "visiting" the elders for "sparring matches," ruthlessly proving that the Stoneheart bloodline was superior until the traditionalists were too bruised to argue.

When Kaelen, the Prince of the Stoneheart Horde, arrived at the city gates, the beleaguered elders practically tripped over themselves to hand Dregbone over to him.

"Apologies for the mess, Your Highness," Dregbone said, scratching his head sheepishly as he greeted Kaelen. "Those old bastards are a nightmare. I can't kill 'em, and when I yell at 'em, they just play the 'senile' card."

Kaelen offered a small, diplomatic shake of his head. He held no prejudice against the different giant branches. He was a Stoneheart Titan himself, but he respected the diversity of his people. His brother, Kronos, was currently deep in the Abyss searching for the Shadowabyss branch. Kaelen knew that if the four branches were useless, his father wouldn't be working so hard to reunite them. He suspected that bringing the four lineages together might unlock an ancient, forbidden power—especially since, currently, the Starveil and Ironbone giants were vastly outclassed by the Stoneheart Titans.

"Don't worry about it," Kaelen said. "I'm just here for the warriors."

"Then I can promise you this," Dregbone said, gesturing to the heavily armed giants behind him. "The men behind me are the toughest blood-warriors in the city."

"You're sure they want to go to The Bastion Wall?" Kaelen asked, looking over the ranks. He needed reinforcements, but he wanted volunteers—men with something to fight for, not just fodder.

"Rest easy, Prince. I know the rules. We're all volunteers. If we can't make the cut for the regular army, we'll damn well fight as irregulars." Dregbone beat his chest with a heavy fist, his confidence radiating from his subordinates.

"Then wait for me a moment," Kaelen said. "I have one more bit of business to attend to inside the city."

Dregbone blinked. "Something important?"

"My mother has sent four additional guards for the expedition," Kaelen explained. "I need to use the city's teleportation array to receive them."

Kaelen wasn't a fool. Lilith's sudden decision to bolster his security meant that his mother sensed a looming threat. He wasn't going to take any chances.

A short while later, Kaelen emerged from the array chamber followed by four towering figures: Hargos, Hazar, Havoka, and Hagakun.

They stood like living monoliths—statue-like beings that radiated an ancient, oppressive power. They weren't typical giants; they were elite Stoneheart Titans hailing directly from Orion's Divine Kingdom and the Stoneheart Temple itself.

As Dregbone looked at the four newcomers, he felt a chill run down his spine. Their power was unfathomable.