Titan King: Ascension of the Giant Chapter 1298 This is not over

The Sixth Layer of the Abyss.

Returning to the Foundry Citadel, Orion led his Conquest Legion away from the Donough Blood-Crow Nest, leaving a grim marker in his wake—a towering ziggurat of thousands of burning corpses that cast a hellish glow across the dark horizon.

This triumph was far more than a simple territorial gain; it served as a brutal proclamation.

The inhabitants of the Foundry Citadel finally bore witness to Orion’s cold determination as an Abyssal Lord and the devastating power of his Conquest Legion. The legal code Orion had established was no longer merely writing on a wall; following this slaughter, his laws were forged into absolute iron.

Across every race and individual within the territory, not a single soul dared to breathe a word of defiance against the Citadel’s collective will.

This unity had been tempered in blood—an expected outcome, yet one that remained deeply significant.

However, the Conquest Legion remained vigilant, refusing to succumb to complacency. The conflict was far from its end; rather, they had transitioned into a state of razor-sharp readiness. Should the Foundry Citadel seek to firmly entrench itself within the Sixth Layer, it would face a relentless onslaught of future trials.

Within the Abyss, any ancient city surviving for millennia has endured storms of carnage capable of obliterating lesser strongholds. Whether facing the wrath of rival Abyssal Lords or the natural devastation of the Gray World, the path ahead for the Foundry Citadel was fraught with peril.

The Abyssals who had pledged their loyalty to the Citadel understood this reality perfectly.

A rising power is always in need of fresh talent. Despite the ferocity of the recent war, the population under Orion's banner had not shrunk; instead, it was surging. Numerous opportunistic eyes throughout the Abyss recognized the Foundry Citadel for what it truly was: a golden gateway to influence, rank, and personal strength.

In a newly formed faction, the social order is never permanent. For those with ambition, the current state of the Foundry Citadel represented a ladder reaching toward the stars, waiting for the bold to climb.

"My Lord, the Hive has achieved its Apex State."

Orion had only just settled onto his throne within the Four-Sided Tower when Standard-bearer Vex arrived in haste to deliver the report.

"The Demonic Maggot Nest has reached full evolution?"

Orion found himself genuinely astonished by this news.

While a standard Demonic Maggot Nest was not particularly rare within the Abyss, one that had evolved to its final stage was a treasure of immeasurable value.

Years prior, Orion had recovered a primitive Nest from an Abyssal Tributary. After the Foundry Citadel was built, he placed it under the care of Vex. Having evolved from a Demonic Maggot himself, Vex possessed an innate understanding of the creature’s requirements.

For more than a decade, that Nest had been gorged on a constant supply of Abyssal energy and precious materials.

As Orion understood it, a Demonic Maggot Nest was ranked by the quality of the offspring it spawned. The most basic nests produced only featureless, attribute-less larvae—mindless grubs fit only for crawling and consuming. The Nest Orion originally claimed had started at this lowest tier, usually beneath the notice of high-ranking Abyssals.

But under the Citadel’s extravagant nourishment, it had transformed into a behemoth.

A Behemoth-class Nest did more than just create specialized elemental maggots; it possessed the capacity to birth fully realized Demons directly.

This development was the cause of Vex’s urgent excitement.

This Hive had been nurtured by the Foundry Citadel since its inception. To its very core, it carried the spiritual signature of Orion and the Conquest Legion. Any Demon emerging from this Nest would be born with an instinctive, unbreakable loyalty to the Legion.

Unlike hired mercenaries or wandering recruits, the Demons produced by the Hive were Trueborn—sharing the same blood and essence.

"Yes, My Lord!" Vex said with a wide grin. "Starting today, the Conquest Legion possesses its own self-sustaining source of warriors."

A faint smile touched Orion’s lips. The maturation of the Hive ensured that the Foundry Citadel finally possessed a foundation capable of enduring for ages. As long as they maintained their position, the Legion’s military depth would continue to grow until they became an irresistible force.

"Excellent," Orion replied, his voice echoing with deep satisfaction. "The First Army has returned with a massive stockpile of resources. Find Bidalun. Instruct him to allocate thirty percent of those spoils to your department."

"From this point forward, I want the Citadel’s Hive operating at maximum capacity. We are focused on the long-term vision. The resources we invest today will guarantee our supremacy for the next thousand years."

Orion’s expression grew more confident. A decade of digging into the Abyss had allowed him to build a terrifying reserve of power. Aside from physical wealth, the sheer volume of Faith Energy collected by the Foundry Citadel was immense.

This energy had not only sustained the Stoneheart Horde; it had bolstered Orion and his top commanders. The advancement of Eparus, Holrivus, Thronlis, Xalathar, Ashreign, and Bidalun to the rank of Arch Lord served as undeniable evidence.

Orion was biding his time until he could ascend to the status of a Demigod. Once he fully integrated the Faith Energy from every world under his control, he would reach his zenith.

But that moment had not yet arrived.

The Abyss. The Uncharted Depths.

In this gloomy subterranean capital, the only light came from the flickering, eternal fel-fire contained within iron wall-sconces.

This was a concealed fortress, a branch of the Chaos Demon House Julius.

Within a massive, shadow-drenched obsidian hall, an elder was performing his daily rites before a statue of a Chaos Demon.

Without warning, a nearby statue—the likeness of Arch Lord Eudan—shattered into pieces.

CRACK.

Stone shards fell to the floor as a fragment of a remnant soul rose from the ruins, letting out a silent, agonized death wail before vanishing into nothingness.

"Another one gone."

The old man looked up, showing no emotion as the soul faded. He began to calmly sweep the debris of the broken monument, clearing the space for the next family member's statue.

In a clan as massive as House Julius, death was a common occurrence.

The Abyss was vast, and the descendants of House Julius were spread across innumerable planes. It was inevitable that some would offend beings they were powerless against. Their demises were merely the way fate culled the weak from the line.

Among the countless descendants, only a tiny fraction ever achieved true greatness. Only those Chaos Demons who successfully ascended were granted a formal name by House Julius. Furthermore, the right to carry the surname "Julius" was reserved strictly for those at the Demigod level.

Most of those elite figures went on to establish their own branch lineages.

"Arrogant filth! You have crossed the line!"

"You butcher my bloodline and obliterate my Demigod phantom? You dare to treat me with such disdain?!"

"This isn't finished... this is far from over!"

Outside the hall, just as the soul fragment blinked out of existence, a thunderous roar erupted from the depths of the sunken city, causing the ground to tremble.

It was the concentrated rage of a Demigod from House Julius.

Chaos Demons were naturally volatile, prone to sudden bursts of violent fury. They were cruel, unpredictable, and entirely without moral limits.

Orion’s deeds on the Sixth Layer had earned him the absolute enmity of a powerful being here.

The Demigod’s shout was more than a display of anger; it was a call to arms. He was gathering his subordinates.

They were making preparations to invade the Sixth Layer. They intended to hunt down the Lord who had dared to kill their kin, and they would leave his entire legacy in ashes.