Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1553: Three Proposals

Most importantly, a Fatebone weapon could continue to grow through continuous sacrifices. A weapon capable of evolution was exactly what Orion needed most.

"Trial passed!"

Just as Orion stowed away his new trident, an emotionless voice echoed through the Third Stratum of the Bubble Realm. Simultaneously, a smaller bubble enveloped Orion, carrying him upward into a higher dimension of the realm.

...

An Uncharted Realm. The City of Pelagos.

With the immediate crisis surrounding Kraken resolved, Orion and Leonidas didn’t linger. Both men returned to their respective worlds.

One day, just as Kraken stepped out of his lair to patrol his territory, an unfamiliar Demigod aura materialized high in the heavens. It manifested as a massive meteor, locking onto Kraken and plummeting straight toward him in a devastating sneak attack.

Against an ambush of this magnitude, an Archlord like Kraken stood absolutely no chance of defending himself.

"Insolent scum!"

At the critical moment, the sliver of phantom will Leonidas had planted in Kraken’s brow surged forth. It transformed into a divine dragon that soared into the sky, violently shattering the descending meteor to dust.

Seizing the momentary reprieve, Kraken immediately retreated back into the depths of his lair to hide.

...

The World of Eldoria. Temple of Terminus.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Somebody ambushed Squiddy!"

Leonidas’s roar jolted Orion and the Deputy Commander out of their deep meditation within The Void. Both men stared at Leonidas in silence, waiting for an explanation.

"After the two of us left, some Demigod dropped a literal meteor from the sky trying to wipe Squiddy off the map," Leonidas fumed. "As soon as my phantom will manifested, the bastard went to ground. Not a trace left behind. I couldn’t even sense their aura."

"What the hell is their endgame? Exterminate Squiddy? Do they think we’re a joke?" Leonidas was absolutely livid. If he hadn’t left a contingency plan, his little brother Kraken would have been obliterated. Even though it was only Kraken’s tentacle Avatar that was attacked, the real target was the pride and reputation of Orion and Leonidas.

"Hiding their tracks so completely that you couldn’t even track their aura?" Orion muttered, his eyes narrowing in deep thought.

The Deputy Commander remained silent. Having played no part in Kraken’s earlier rescue, he was missing the context and chose to just listen quietly.

"Which side do you think made the move?" Orion looked up at Leonidas after a moment, the uncertainty evident in his eyes. "The ocean clans? Or the Divine Sigil family?"

"Could be either. Neither of them are exactly saints," Leonidas replied, tossing the question right back. "Someone hit Squiddy hoping to use us as the hammer to shatter that world’s balance. Who do you think is the prime suspect, brother?"

"On the surface, the Divine Sigil family is the most likely culprit," Orion analyzed, making deductions based on what they knew. "We encroached on their territory and interests; they took a massive hit. As for the ocean clans, with that old man watching over the seas, no one would dare pull a stunt like this out in the open. But then again, you can never truly know someone’s heart. The ocean clans are still a very real possibility."

"Tell Squiddy to delegate the affairs of that territory to his subordinates," Orion advised. "Tell him to act like this never happened. Give the enemy the illusion that we’re laying low, waiting for the perfect moment to strike back. The political landscape in Kraken’s world is too convoluted. With just the two of us, we can’t bring it to heel right now. Not unless the Commander is willing to step in..."

Orion let the sentence hang. With his and Leonidas’s current strength, subjugating Kraken’s world was a pipe dream. Whether it was the ocean clans or the Divine Sigil family, if either side got truly serious, the two brothers would be in for a world of pain.

Their only viable option was to lie low. Once Kraken advanced to Demigod, he would be able to firmly plant his feet in that world. As for the Commander intervening? Highly unlikely. Unless it was a matter concerning the entire Champions Alliance, the Commander rarely lifted a finger. His philosophy was simple: if you want territory, bleed for it yourself.

"If Kraken dies, who profits?" The Deputy Commander chimed in from the sidelines just as Orion and Leonidas hit a wall. "Whoever stands to gain the most is your prime suspect."

"The ocean clans, obviously!" Leonidas fired back without missing a beat. "Most of Squiddy’s territory is underwater," he elaborated. "The Divine Sigil family can’t get their hands on oceanic domains."

"That Demigod, Kuray, took devastating losses. He’s definitely going to fall into a deep slumber," Orion reasoned, expanding on Leonidas’s point. "The moment Kraken dies, that massive swath of territory becomes a free-for-all."

Looking at it from that angle, the ocean clans were undeniably the prime suspects.

"What are they playing at? Do they want to shatter the truce and spark an all-out war?" Leonidas’s face darkened, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. In that moment, he genuinely entertained the thought of fanning the flames of war himself.

"That is Kraken’s territory," the Deputy Commander interjected, his voice taking on a sterner, warning tone. "It is his business. He should be the one sweating over this, not the two of you."

"It’s quite simple, really. The moment Kraken ascends to Demigod, all these issues and crises will resolve themselves. What, do you two plan on being his babysitters forever?"

Silence fell between Orion and Leonidas. Their reaction had indeed been a bit too extreme. They could bail Kraken out once or twice, but could they do it forever? At the end of the day, this was Kraken’s burden to bear.

"Only by facing greater crises can one achieve greater growth," the Deputy Commander continued, glancing at Leonidas. As Kraken’s mentor, Leonidas was naturally overprotective, which was understandable. "If you want to help, just intervene at the critical moments."

"I’ve already handed the modification blueprints for the cross-realm teleportation array to Elara," the Deputy Commander said, smoothly shifting the topic. Letting Leonidas and Kraken sort out their own mess behind closed doors was the best approach. "Whatever materials she needs, just give them to her. Once she successfully recalibrates the array, she can consider her apprenticeship complete."

"As for this Sealing Temple, the President of our Saint Gran Council is highly intrigued," the Deputy Commander added, his tone growing slightly more grave. In his eyes, the Sealing Temple was an asset of immense value. "He has provided three proposals for you to choose from. The decision is yours."

"First: You surrender the temple to us unconditionally. In return, the President will grant you both the title of Honorary Councilors of the Saint Gran Council, which comes with its own set of privileges."

"Second: You allow the Council’s magical research division to station themselves here. Once we fully decipher the temple’s architecture and its corresponding magical formations, we will provide you with the complete schematics."

"Third: You share the Sealing Temple’s data outwards through me. You will still receive relevant assistance, but the timeframe for any results will be significantly longer."

Orion and Leonidas locked eyes, silently exchanging their thoughts.

"Deputy Commander, we choose the third option. We’ll seek assistance through you," Orion said, looking the man dead in the eye as he stated their decision.

There was only one simple reason for making such a choice.