Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1650: Stoneheart Deck

"Lord Gabriel, this thing is a bit... a bit..."

Struggling to find the right words for the card in her hand, Delilah finally set it down and narrowed her eyes.

A moment later, a demigod projection stepped right out from the center of her brow. The phantom exuded a crushing, oppressive weight—a towering figure bearing four heads and eight arms.

The instant Orion appeared, time and space seemed to freeze. Gabriel and Daniel stood paralyzed, rooted to the spot.

Orion reached out and plucked the black-and-gold card off the table.

[Name]: Orion Stoneheart (Deckmaster)

[Race]: Stoneheart Titan (Synergizes with any Stoneheart card)

[...]

As he drew the card, Gabriel and Daniel widened their eyes, straining to read its face. However, the card only revealed Orion’s name and race; the rest remained completely obscured.

"Fascinating."

The card shimmered with a myriad of lights, radiating a dense, law-infused divine power that moved even Orion. It wasn’t that the card couldn’t display his stats—Orion had actively cloaked them.

With a soft chuckle, he moved to set the card back down, but a sudden spark of intuition made him pocket the black-and-gold card instead.

"The Deckmaster shouldn’t make an appearance at this stage."

It wasn’t a suggestion; it was an absolute decree. Gabriel and Daniel didn’t dare utter a word of dissent. The aura Orion projected right now eclipsed many of the elders within the Disorder Alliance. In the Titanion Realm, Orion currently stood as an equal to their own Alliance Master.

"Besides, this isn’t a complete deck, is it?"

Orion’s aura rapidly retracted, his projection slipping back into Delilah’s brow. A lingering glow on her forehead was the only indicator that he was still watching them.

"You are correct, esteemed Deckmaster. This is merely a quarter of the Titanion deck," Gabriel admitted. "With the Titanion Realm ascending to an Ascendant Plane, each of the four continents generated its own sub-deck. Only when all four are combined is the set truly complete."

As a demigod, Orion could easily grasp the underlying mechanics of the Titanion cards with a mere sweep of his perception. Gabriel knew better than to hide anything.

"But that matters little. It won’t hinder the operation and distribution of the Stoneheart cards," Gabriel continued. "As you can see, this is a unique conduit for gathering faith. It will usher in even greater prosperity for your Stoneheart Horde."

In truth, the introduction of the Titanion cards was an investment—a formal acknowledgment from the Disorder Alliance. Once popularized, the deck would generate immense faith. Orion, as the Deckmaster, would reap the vast majority of it, while a fraction would funnel back to the Disorder Alliance as an operational fee.

"We have a saying within the Disorder Alliance: a faction only qualifies as a true civilization once it can manifest its own cards. Esteemed Deckmaster, may you achieve immortality. May your Stoneheart Horde prosper endlessly, and may every card you hold evolve into a golden legend."

Gabriel bowed deeply, and Daniel immediately followed suit.

By taking the Deckmaster card, Orion had given his tacit approval, green-lighting the rollout of the Stoneheart deck across the Titan Continent. The cards themselves had guided the duo here—to the city of Stoneheart, and straight into the Silent Goblet.

"Lord Gabriel, Lord Daniel—I’d like to keep this deck here at the Silent Goblet as our centerpiece. I assume that’s acceptable?"

Delilah smiled warmly. It sounded like a polite request, but it was purely a notification. By the time she finished speaking, she had already swept the cards off the table.

Gabriel felt a pang of reluctance but nodded in agreement. "Of course. It would be our honor."

This wasn’t unprecedented. The very first deck generated on the Titan Continent within a newly elevated Ascendant Plane held undeniable mystical weight. Should the Titanion Realm thrive, the entire Titanion card system would receive a world blessing. Through special methods, that blessing could be channeled directly back to the individuals depicted on the cards. In essence, holding this master deck meant holding the reins to an entire network of future favors and raw power.

The moment Delilah pocketed the deck, the supernatural phenomena in the private parlor vanished, and Orion’s phantom will fell completely silent.

"Lilith, next we should discuss the distribution strategy for the Stoneheart cards, as well as the profit split."

Beyond the harvestable faith energy, the revenue share was Gabriel and Daniel’s absolute top priority. It was more than just a simple game; the Stoneheart deck would weave itself into the history of the Stoneheart Horde, the evolution of the Titan Continent, and the minds of every future player.

Delilah giggled softly. "Lord Gabriel, there’s no need for such formalities. There is only one wife of Orion within the Stoneheart Horde; you may simply call me the Proprietor."

"I am the Proprietor of this Silent Goblet. Furthermore, let me share a little secret with you: we are about to expand into every major city on the continent. Moving forward, wherever there is a Silent Goblet, the Stoneheart cards will be there too. The Goblet will become a paradise for every player."

The real negotiations began.

The Stoneheart deck wasn’t a finalized product upon release; it required fine-tuning, regular updates, and carefully hidden mechanics. Because of this, the deck couldn’t function without Delilah’s direct oversight. Ensuring a blockbuster launch, hooking the public, and integrating the cards into the trade markets were massive logistical challenges that required dedicated teams to plan and execute.

"Proprietor, our immediate priority is cultivating the first wave of players," Gabriel advised enthusiastically, driven by his own stake in the deck’s success. "We need to teach them the rules and walk them through basic deck-building strategies."

"Different strategies yield varying results depending on the game mode. I suggest tying specific cards to classes and titles, allowing diverse groups to enjoy the thrill of ownership. Secondly, we should establish promotional hubs in every high-density entertainment district across the Horde."

"There’s no rush, Lord Gabriel," Delilah replied smoothly. "I’ve noted all your suggestions and will certainly put them to use."

"But before we launch the Stoneheart cards, I’d like to hear how the Disorder cards operate in other realms. Would you mind shedding some light on that?"

She topped off Gabriel and Daniel’s glasses. The Stoneheart deck was a colossal enterprise, and she had all the time and patience in the world to lay the proper groundwork. During their prior exchange, Delilah had caught a crucial detail: the mechanics of the Disorder cards varied wildly from world to world.

Running the Stoneheart deck wasn’t going to be a simple game.