Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1284 Operation Sanctuary

Silverwood Realm. Dragon Territory.

The ocean was a vast, undulating sheet of cobalt stretching to the horizon, where the water met the sky in a seamless blur of blue. A solitary skiff bobbed rhythmically on the swells, looking pitifully small against the backdrop of the open sea.

"Hey, Squiddy, do you actually know how to row, or are we just drifting for style points? We haven't moved more than a mile in hours."

It was a bizarre tableau.

Leonidas sat at the bow, legs crossed, holding a fishing rod with the relaxed demeanor of a retiree on vacation. At the stern, Kraken—sporting a massive, living octopus on his head like a squishy helmet—was lethargically pushing the oars through the water.

Between them, resting on the deck, was a large glass tank. Inside swam Orion.

This wasn't Orion's true body, of course. It was his "avatar", the [Abyssal Dreadfin].

"You enjoying the view, Kraken?" Orion transmitted, his mental voice dripping with sarcasm as he floated in the tank.

Kraken rolled his eyes, ignoring the rhythm of the waves. The role reversal had killed his motivation to row. He kept staring at the tank, studying Orion with a mix of curiosity and twisted amusement. It was the same look Orion and the others used to give him back in the day—like he was an exotic pet.

"Hey, Hulk," Kraken grinned, leaning forward. "You hungry? The Big Boss packed some premium bait. Want me to sprinkle some flakes in there for you?"

Inside the tank, the miniature Abyssal Dreadfin attempted to roll its eyes—a difficult feat for a fish—and then sank to the bottom, blowing a stream of bubbles in protest.

"Hah! Look at you now, Hulk!" Kraken laughed, slapping his knee. "Finally, you know how it feels! I spent years in a tank envying you guys with your legs and thumbs. Seeing you as a glorified goldfish? It's healing my soul, man."

"Give him a break, bro," Leonidas chimed in, adjusting his line without looking back. "Though, I gotta say, that avatar has some distinct Draconic traits. You want me to hook you up? I know a few nice dragon ladies who might be into the whole 'compact' look."

"Save it," Orion grumbled, his mental voice vibrating against the glass. "It took me ten years just to wake up from that coma. Once I have the resources, I'll push this form to Demigod status. Then I can shapeshift and get out of this bowl."

The three of them—Leonidas, Orion, and Kraken—weren't actually here to fish.

The rod was a prop; the boat was a disguise. Their real objective lay in the deep ocean. They needed to assess the escalating war between the Sea Race and the Cult of Four.

Leonidas was a Dragon, Orion was currently an ancient fish species, and Kraken was a deep-sea monstrosity. They were the perfect infiltration team. But the shallow coastal waters were too exposed for their massive true forms, forcing them into this humiliating little skiff until they reached the drop-off.

"Hey, Boss... Hulk..." Kraken's expression shifted, the joking replaced by a gleam of avarice. "What if we don't just scout? What if we build a city down there?"

He gestured to the depths. "Think about it. The Sea Race and the Cult are tearing each other apart. There have to be thousands of refugees looking for a safe harbor."

Kraken's eyes lit up. "If we establish a neutral sanctuary right in the middle of the warzone... we become the third player on the board. We'd have leverage."

"And with our combined strength," Kraken continued, warming up to his own pitch, "both sides would try to court us. We wouldn't just be spies; we'd be power brokers."

It was ambitious. The native powers of the Silverwood Realm knew exactly who the heavy hitters were. As outsiders, the trio couldn't fool the locals forever, but they might be able to hustle the Cult of Four.

"You mean we enter the fray posing as an independent faction of the Sea Race?" Leonidas reeled in his empty hook, his interest piqued.

"I like it," Orion bubbled up to the surface of his tank, resting his fins on the rim. "Even if they clock us as outsiders, a united front of three heavyweights is hard to ignore. We play both sides, sell our 'allegiance' to the highest bidder, and get the intel we need."

"Plus," Kraken added, showing his true motivation, "imagine the Faith Energy we could farm from a city full of desperate refugees."

Since Orion had announced his push for Demigod status, and with Makareth nipping at their heels, Kraken was feeling the pressure. He needed juice, and a sanctuary city was a perfect battery.

"Sold," Leonidas said, standing up. "We don't know where to start anyway. Building a base gives us a footprint."

"Should I warp a pre-built city from another ocean?" Kraken asked. "Starting from scratch takes too long."

"No," Leonidas shook his head. "Too loud. Moving a city across dimensional barriers creates a massive energy signature. We'd be targeted before we settled. We'll do it the smart way."

Leonidas reached into his spatial storage and produced an object that pulsed with ancient heat—a [Dragon Nest].

It was a biological fortress seed, designed to grow on land or deep underwater.

"We use this as the foundation," Leonidas explained, tossing the artifact in his hand. "It gives us a Dragon background cover story, which will make both the Sea Race and the Cult hesitate to attack. Plus, it distances us from the Champions Alliance. If the Clown or the Witch are operating down here, this adds another layer of smoke."

Leonidas was grinning now. He loved a good double-cross.

"Boss," Kraken said, his tentacles twitching nervously. "My only worry is that we end up as the meat in the sandwich. If they decide we're a threat, we become cannon fodder for both sides."

"Let them try," Leonidas scoffed. "I'm a Dragon now. If push comes to shove, I'll project a Demigod-level phantom to scare them straight. Fear keeps the neighbors honest. We stay in the gray area, play the mysterious powerful neutral party, and profit."

"Alright, it's a plan," Leonidas declared. "I'm providing the [Dragon Nest]—that's the real estate and the core. You two split the cost for materials and resources to build it up. Any objections?"

Orion and Kraken exchanged a look—one through glass, one through squinted eyes—and shook their heads. The [Dragon Nest] was the most valuable asset; it was a fair deal.

"Then let's move. We need to find a prime location to plant this thing."

Kraken nodded and tossed the wooden oars overboard.

"Hang on," he muttered.

The massive octopus on his head uncoiled, shooting two long, thick tentacles into the water behind the boat. Like a twin-turbo engine coming online, the tentacles began to churn the water violently.

WHOOSH!

The small skiff surged forward, the bow lifting out of the water as they rocketed away from the shallows, leaving a foaming wake of white water behind them.