Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1417: God-Devourer

"The Wormhole Realm..." Orion murmured, his eyes opening slowly. "So, this is the handiwork of the invaders."

He had fully assimilated Zerin’s consciousness. He now understood the creature’s origins, though the knowledge was fragmented.

Zerin was a God-Devourer, a terrifying sub-strain of the Void Insectoids. This was the vanguard race prepared to invade the Titanion Realm. However, any specific intelligence regarding their home world had been wiped clean from Zerin’s mind—a safeguard implanted at birth.

"Cautious bastards," Orion muttered. "They didn’t leave a single breadcrumb."

Deep within Zerin’s psyche, Orion had found complex soul-binding wards designed to control the creature. Fortunately, his divine power had shattered them effortlessly. Zerin, the God-Devourer, was now Orion’s avatar.

It was a pity Zerin was a King-caste insectoid rather than a Broodmother. This meant the avatar’s path would be one of personal combat power and conquest over other swarms, rather than infinite reproduction.

"Master! Did you roast the little guy?"

Orion’s train of thought was derailed by a skittering commotion. Lorelia returned, trailed by a swarm of basketball-sized spiderlings that had just hatched.

"I don’t smell any meat," Lorelia said, sniffing the air theatrically. "Did you burn him to ash?"

She eyed the crimson cocoon in Orion’s hand with undisguised hunger.

"Zerin’s consciousness has been obliterated. His body is now my avatar."

"God-Devourer?" Lorelia tilted her head.

"Yes. A species that, upon reaching maturity, can traverse the Void and hunt divinities for sustenance."

"Hunt divinities?" Lorelia’s eyes went wide. "Wow... Master, are they really that strong?"

"In theory," Orion admitted. "I only know what I pulled from its memories."

Whether a God-Devourer could actually consume a god was likely aspirational—a biological imperative rather than a guarantee. From what Orion gathered, "maturity" for this species equated to the Archlord rank. An Archlord certainly couldn’t eat a god.

However, maturity wasn’t the end of their evolution. They could ascend further.

The limitation lay in the environment. This Wormhole Realm, seeded by the enemy, contained enough space and resources to push a God-Devourer to the Archlord rank, but likely no further. It was a nursery designed to mass-produce high-tier commanders, not god-killers.

"This place is yours now," Orion said. "Use the resources here. Expand the Cave Spider race."

He walked to the edge of the central nutrient pit and gently lowered the crimson cocoon into the slime.

"And Lorelia? Become an Archlord. Soon."

The possession process had damaged the larval body. The nutrient fluids would repair the vessel and accelerate its growth.

"Master, will your avatar stay here to play with Lorelia?"

Lorelia was sharp. She sensed his intent immediately, and her face lit up with joy.

"Focus on your evolution. That is your priority."

Orion toured the pocket dimension one last time, erasing any lingering traps or hostile wards that might threaten the Stoneheart Horde. What remained was a pristine fortress—a massive granary of survival resources gifted to Lorelia.

He glanced back one last time. Lorelia was already leading her spiderlings on a chaotic rampage through the strange, alien landscape. Shaking his head, Orion stepped through the spatial distortion and vanished.

Horde Hall, Master Bedroom.

When Orion returned, Seraphina was still deep in slumber.

He climbed back into bed, pulling her warm, soft form into his arms. She stirred, her eyelashes fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes.

"I found something," Orion whispered, his voice grave. "You need to order your oceanic kin to conduct a full-scale sweep of your territory. Especially the deep zones."

The drowsiness vanished from Seraphina’s eyes instantly. She shifted, finding a comfortable position against his chest.

"Let me guess. This has something to do with the insectoids and that other world?"

Orion nodded, running his fingers through her hair.

It was a tactile marvel. Individually, each strand was clear as crystal, invisible to the eye. Yet, when gathered together, they cascaded like a waterfall of deep azure waves.

"Have they invaded?"

Seraphina enjoyed his touch—her hair was sensitive, a trait of the merfolk royalty she rarely spoke of—but her mind was already sharpening into focus. Deep within her sea-blue eyes, a cold fire ignited.

"They have," Orion confirmed.

The fire in Seraphina’s eyes died down, replaced by the icy calculation of a ruler. She knew the difference between pillow talk and a war council.

Orion recounted everything: Lorelia’s discovery of the Wormhole Realm, the intrusion of Zerin, and the nature of the God-Devouring Larva.

Seraphina listened in silence, her brow furrowing tighter with every detail.

"The enemy knows the rules," she murmured, analyzing the situation from a macro perspective. "They know the planar laws of the Titanion Realm are shifting, but only enough to let bottom-feeders rise. The native bugs can’t become apex predators on their own."

"So, they seeded these Wormholes—pocket dimensions designed to power-level their forces."

"Are they trying to disrupt our defensive layout before the main invasion?"

As a Demigod, the fate of a single larva meant nothing to her. She looked at the board, not the pieces.

"Or are they impatient to descend?"

She posed the question, then shook her head, dismissing it. "No. Premature descent is impossible. We are Demigods; we are attuned to the fabric of this world. If they tried to force a breach now, we would feel the tremors instantly."

"I agree," Orion said. "This isn’t an invasion force yet. It’s an environmental terraforming project. They are creating forward operating bases."

"It’s also a probe," he added. "They sent the Wormhole to test our reactions and gather intelligence."

If they could send a pocket dimension, they certainly had a way to transmit data back.

"Orion," Seraphina said, sitting up. The sheets fell away from her, but she ignored her nudity, her expression grim. "If these Wormhole Realms are as you say—completely sealed, leaking no aura, impossible to detect with standard scans..."

"We have a problem."

She looked at him, a flicker of genuine horror in her eyes.

"If these things are hidden in the Abyssal Trenches... if the insectoids are breeding down there in the dark, by the millions... we won’t know until they swarm."