Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1511: Submit or Rot

World of Eldoria, Temple of Terminus.

When Orion materialized within the sanctum, Leonidas greeted him with a mix of sheer joy and a tidal wave of complaints.

"Bro, this godforsaken place... there’s no one here, nothing to eat, and I feel like I’m being stalked by monsters twenty-four-seven. Prison would be a vacation compared to this."

Leonidas practically scrambled off the throne, "inviting" Orion to take the seat with exaggerated deference.

As Orion sat, the Void Illusion assaulted his mind. Relying on his ironclad will, Orion resisted the pull, refusing to be dragged into the hallucination. He looked up, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips as he regarded Leonidas.

The Void felt more volatile than before, almost as if it had been antagonized. The eldritch presences that usually lurked far from the throne had encroached, their unseen eyes fixed intently on the seat of power.

"Heh... Bro, I might have poked them. Just a little test!" Leonidas laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "Who knew these monsters were like a hornet’s nest? One poke and they exploded."

That was the root of his misery.

Dozens of monstrosities were watching him, some of them exuding auras rivaling Demigods. Leonidas, unfamiliar with the mechanics of the seal, had no confidence in his safety. He had been living in a state of perpetual, heart-pounding terror.

It was normal for a warrior to be tense before battle. But to be strung tight every second of every day? That was how you died of stress or frightened yourself into an early grave.

"Bro, did those three leave?" Leonidas asked, changing the subject.

"They did."

"Did they take all their kin?"

"Only those connected by blood."

"Good. That’s good. At least these seas won’t be completely barren. We need some life around here." Leonidas gave a thumbs-up. "You’re the real deal, kid. Strong-arming three Demigods into abandoning their territory? That’s boss-level behavior."

"The rest is up to Squiddy," Orion said. "We need to sweep the entire maritime region, consolidate the resources, and then divide the territory."

The invasion of the seas had been easier than Orion anticipated.

The aquatic Demigods—Coraline, Corren, and Vaelor—had offered no resistance, likely because they had sensed the descent of the Goddess Agaman. If a powerhouse like Agaman had been expelled, they knew they stood no chance.

"Bro, let me tell you, this is how it should be," Leonidas said, patting Orion’s shoulder. "We raise the younger brothers right, let the ambitious ones take the lead and conquer territory for us. Look at me now—winning without even lifting a finger! I’m practically retired!"

"Hahaha..."

Leonidas laughed, swelling with pride for the two "little brothers"—Orion and the Kraken—that he and Arthas had brought up. With these two workhorses handling the heavy lifting, the days of grinding were over.

"A pity the Assassin(Alexander) didn’t bring Isabella out. things would be even easier with her," Leonidas mused. "And poor Squiddy wouldn’t have to shoulder the burden alone."

Orion smiled but didn’t comment.

In the past, Leonidas and Arthas had carried Orion and the Kraken. Now that he had the strength, Orion was more than willing to carry his older brothers in return. It was karmic balance. The generosity of Leonidas and Arthas had paved the way for Orion’s rise. In turn, Orion’s current generosity would eventually pave the way for Tangere and Aurora to step up as the next generation of workhorses.

"Speaking of help..."

Leonidas’s words jogged Orion’s memory.

Orion opened his mouth and regurgitated a figure gnawed raw by gastric acid. It was the Siren Archlord, Thalryssa.

"Bro... what the hell is that?"

"The Siren Archlord of the Westreach Trench. Thalryssa."

Leonidas froze, blinking rapidly at Orion, unsure if he had heard correctly.

"The Siren with the god-tier beauty?"

"The very same."

Leonidas’s reaction was theatrical. His eyes bulged as he pointed a trembling finger at the acid-etched, unrecognizable lump on the floor.

"Goddammit, Orion! This is a crime against nature!" he shouted. "That is a masterpiece! A rare beauty! Even if you don’t like her, you could have wiped her consciousness and kept her as a... as a..."

Leonidas’s suggestions were veering into the obscene, so Orion shrugged, indifferent.

The current situation was entirely Thalryssa’s fault. She was stubborn, refusing to bow her head. And Orion wasn’t the type to go soft in the knees—or stay his hand—just because a woman was beautiful.

If she wouldn’t submit, she could rot in his stomach dimension.

Orion looked down at the lump of flesh, his voice cold.

"I will give you one last choice."

"Coraline, Corren, and Vaelor—the three Demigods—have been exiled. This ocean is now my dominion."

"Submit, or die."

Orion waved his hand, conjuring a stream of water to wash away the corrosive acid. Freed from the physical suppression, Thalryssa immediately surged with Transcendent Power, her injuries knitting together and healing in seconds.

"Where... is this?"

Thalryssa looked around the alien environment, her expression a mix of confusion and high alert.

"The deepest point of the ocean. The Temple of Terminus," Orion stated. "And I am its Master now."

Thalryssa’s face drained of color. She stood frozen for a full fifteen minutes before her breathing finally stabilized.

"Lady Coraline... was truly exiled by you?"

She looked up at Orion on the throne. For the first time, her eyes held genuine fear.

The corner of Orion’s mouth ticked upward. Finally, a crack in the armor. She was showing signs of submission.

It became clear why she had been so resilient before: she had been banking on the protection of a Second-Stage Demigod.

Orion didn’t waste words. Violent Divine Power erupted from him, slamming into Thalryssa, binding her and knocking her unconscious instantly.

Then, Orion invaded her mental landscape—her Sea of Consciousness.

Inside, he found the Divine Interdict left by Coraline. With a mental roar, Orion threw a psychic punch that shattered the foreign seal into dust. As the old seal crumbled, he immediately wove his own Divine Interdict into the fabric of her mind.

Thalryssa remained unconscious through the violence of the procedure. Within her Sea of Consciousness, all she perceived was the sky collapsing, only to be replaced by a new, heavier firmament.

Time passed. When Thalryssa finally awoke, the temple was empty save for Orion.

"Submit, or have your consciousness wiped?"

Orion asked again, his patience worn thin.

Leonidas had a point. While a mind-wiped puppet lacked flexibility and intelligence, having a mindless Archlord brawler was better than nothing.

"Thalryssa... greets the Master."

She prostrated herself on the floor.

She had no choice. Her patron was gone, and a new, unbreakable seal was clamped around her soul. If she didn’t learn her place now, only death awaited.

A smile of victory appeared on Orion’s face. There was a distinct sense of accomplishment in forcing a beauty to her knees.

The methods were rough, but the result was satisfactory.