Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1699 Stand of the Three

"Commander, the world anchor and traction array are set. We can initiate the teleportation!"

Deputy Commander Edward's voice drifted up the mountain, edged with urgency. His interruption broke Orion, Leonidas, and Alexander from their thoughts on the Commander's bottle theory. The Mirage Void was stirring. Summoning the Commander's city to relieve the pressure on Blackstone City could not wait.

"That's enough for today," the Commander said.

He and Orion rose from beneath the Wishing Tree. In a flash, they transported Leonidas and Alexander to a cordoned-off teleportation plaza inside Blackstone City.

In the center, Deputy Commander Edward held a magical disc resembling a compass. As its needle spun, glowing arrays materialized beneath his feet and expanded into the air behind him.

"Commander, do we begin now?" Edward stared at the intricate magical disc in his hands. Crafted under the Commander's guidance, the artifact surpassed standard relics. His voice trembled with excitement.

"Yes. The sooner, the better," the Commander replied.

Magical light erupted from Edward. The energy gathered in his eyes, blazing like stars, as he fixed his gaze on the endless dark void above Blackstone City. A guiding light in the darkness.

Under the Deputy Commander's gaze, the sky tore open. A massive rift formed, revealing the vague silhouette of a heavily fortified war city drifting through the dark.

"They're here," Orion said.

"They're here," the Commander echoed.

Alexander and Leonidas assumed they meant the descending city. But when they noticed Orion and the Commander staring past the rift into the pitch-black void, they realized the truth: the enemy had arrived.

"Two peak experts," the Commander said, glancing at Orion. "One for each of us. This is our first battle; make it look good."

The Commander could have fought both, but Orion needed a whetstone. A peak expert at the demigod sixth stage was the perfect opponent. Furthermore, Orion needed to display overwhelming combat power to awe both allies and enemies. He needed a public, undeniable victory. It was a chance to build his reputation, draw in more allies, and prove he deserved a seat at the table.

"Rest assured, Commander," Orion said.

He didn't boast. True power didn't need to be spoken; it needed to be proven in blood. A hard-fought battle was the best evidence.

The Commander smiled faintly, meeting Orion's gaze. He saw the burning battle intent. He saw the same fierce presence Orion radiated when fighting above his level. The fearless Orion had returned.

"Let's see who breaks their opponent first," the Commander said. He reached behind his back, and a pitch-black longblade materialized in his grip. "It's been a while since I felt this excited." He grinned, genuinely thrilled to finally have a capable teammate by his side.

Seeing the Commander's absolute confidence fired Orion up. The Commander's recognition was the ultimate validation of his strength.

"It is an honor to fight by your side," Orion said, hefting his trident.

The dormant bloodline power within him erupted like a volcano. He stepped into the void. His body swelled, growing as massive as a mountain. His vitality surged like a thrashing ancient dragon. With every step and every breath, space itself trembled.

Four heads and eight arms manifested. Drakthul hovered above him. His eyes burned crimson. Golden magical patterns flashed across his skin, and giant totems blazed like fire at his joints. Gripping his Demigod Artifact, Orion faced the enemy in his absolute peak state.

"Invaders of my domain—die!"

A thunderous roar worthy of the Stoneheart progenitor shattered the silence, igniting the battle. Orion swung his trident in a massive, sweeping arc. A blood-red shockwave rippled from the prongs, expanding outward and obliterating the encroaching darkness and every monster caught in its path.

As the frontline shadows disintegrated, the Mirage Void experts hidden within were finally exposed.

"Well, well. Three invaders. Looks like I get a piece of the action," Kaidric's voice drifted casually over Blackstone City. He hadn't expected the enemy to send three demigod sixth-stage experts. "Leave the weakest one to me. I could use a whetstone myself!"

The "weakest" one Kaidric pointed out was an expert whose aura had only just breached the demigod sixth stage. Clearly, the Boundless Expanse had prepared thoroughly for this probe, elevating a powerhouse armed with a Demigod Artifact for the occasion.

"Just don't embarrass us," the Commander said, blurring past Kaidric into the sky.

"Who are you looking down on?" Kaidric muttered, instantly giving chase.

Meanwhile, the distant darkness surged forward once more. Orion's devastating strike hadn't deterred them in the slightest.

Fortunately, Blackstone City was ready. An endless tide of dream spiders swarmed from beneath the city streets, their sheer numbers rivaling the encroaching blackness outside the walls.

Even Blackstone City's first satellite settlement roared to life. Before Kaidric had even taken flight, the bronze city was operating at maximum capacity. Steam-wreathed phantoms poured out from massive grinding mills—war slaves belonging to the Death-Soul Race.

These war slaves were monsters specifically engineered by the Death-Soul Race to counter dreamscapes and illusions. They were incredibly difficult to kill. Even when destroyed, their fragmented remains could fuse together to form new phantoms.

Dream spiders, phantom war slaves, and the shadowy horrors of the Mirage Void collided from all directions, tearing into each other in a frenzy of violence. Spiders shrieked as they were ripped apart, while phantoms shattered in the dark only to reform seconds later. No matter how many shadow monsters were slaughtered, an endless tide poured out from the void to replace them.

Above this meat grinder of a battlefield, Orion, Thresh, and Kaidric halted before their enemies.

"Outsiders, you are not welcome here," the central figure said. Orion had forced them out of the dark, yet their true faces remained hidden. The three experts were still shrouded in shadows. The only distinct feature was the crackling black flame cloak billowing around the central figure. "Leave now, and the slaughter below will cease. You can cut your losses. Know this: our people are endless. They do not know pain, and they do not fear death."

"A planar war, and you call us outsiders?" Orion scoffed, his tone laced with mockery. He locked eyes on the central figure—the strongest of the three. King against king; this was his opponent. "Your people are endless and feel no pain? Do you think our war beasts and slaves are any lesser? Or are you just afraid?"

Anyone could make empty threats. Orion glared at the shadowy figure, channeling immense power into his trident. If he wasn't stalling to charge his next strike, he wouldn't have wasted a single word on the enemy. Talking might reveal intel, but the enemy was already at their gates. Hesitation was pointless.

"Ignorant fool," the shadow hissed. "There are vast differences even between Ascendant Planes!"

The shadow had tried to force a surrender for its own reasons. Since intimidation had failed, combat was inevitable. Without another word, the figure transformed into a streak of black light, rocketing straight at Orion.